posite point, were
lit. The fire of the fleet and from the shore soon raised a smoke
which made these precautions useless, while it involved the ships in a
danger greater than any from the enemy's guns. Settling down upon the
water, in a still damp atmosphere, it soon hid everything from the
eyes of the pilots. The flag-ship, leading, had the advantage of
pushing often ahead of her own smoke; but those who followed ran into
it and incurred a perplexity which increased from van to rear. At the
bend of the river the current caught the Hartford on her port bow,
sweeping her round with her head toward the batteries and nearly on
shore, her stem touching the ground slightly; but by her own efforts
and the assistance of the Albatross she was backed clear. Then, the
Albatross backing and the Hartford going ahead strong with the
engines, her head was fairly pointed up the stream, and she passed by
without serious injury. Deceived possibly by the report of the
howitzers in her top, which were nearly on their own level, the
Confederates did not depress their guns sufficiently to hit her as
often as they did the ships that followed her. One killed and two
wounded is her report; and one marine fell overboard, his cries for
help being heard on board the other ships as they passed by, unable to
save him.

The Richmond, with the Genesee alongside, following the Hartford, had
reached the last battery and was about to make the turn when a
plunging shot entering about four feet above the berth-deck, passed
through a barricade of clothes-bags and hawsers into the engine-room,
upsetting the starboard safety-valve; then glancing a little upward,
it displaced the port safety-valve weight and twisted the lever,
leaving the valve partly opened. The steam escaped so rapidly as to
reduce the pressure at once to nine pounds, while filling the
fire-room and berth-deck. Deprived thus of her motive force, it was
found that the Genesee was not able to drag both vessels up against
the strong current then running. Commander Alden was therefore
compelled to turn down stream, and after some narrow escapes from the
fire of his own fleet, was soon carried by the gunboat out of range.
The two vessels lost 3 killed and 15 wounded; among the latter the
first lieutenant of the Richmond, A. Boyd Cummings, mortally.

The Monongahela and Kineo were third in line. While under the fire of
the principal batteries, musketry opened upon them from the west bank,
whi