s, she, with many river steamers, was taken to the Yazoo,
and now met her end sunk in the swollen waters of a Southern creek.
The cannon mounted in the works were one six-and-a-half-inch rifled
gun, three 20-pounder Parrott rifles, and some field pieces, among
which was a Whitworth rifle. Lieutenant F.E. Shepperd, of the
Confederate Navy, who had been busy felling trees in the upper river,
was put in charge of these pieces because none of the army officers
present, except General Loring, were familiar with the use of great
guns. The heavy rifle, the main reliance of the fort, was only got
into position by blocking it up from the ground, no other appliances
being at hand; and as there was not enough blocking, the attempt had
nearly failed. It was in place barely in time to meet the gunboats.

The Chillicothe, at 10 A.M. of the 11th of March, steamed round the
bend above and engaged the battery. She was twice struck on the
turret, being materially injured, and withdrew to fortify with cotton
bales. At 4.25 P.M. she again went into action, at a distance of eight
hundred yards, with the De Kalb, but after firing four times, a shell
from the Confederate battery struck in the muzzle of the port XI-inch
just as the loaders had entered a shell and were stripping the patch
from the fuze; both projectiles exploded, killing 2 and wounding 11 of
the gun's crew, besides injuring the gun. The Chillicothe was then
withdrawn, after receiving another shot, which killed one of her
ship's company, and showing her unfitness for action through scamped
work put upon her. The stream was so narrow that two vessels could
with difficulty act, and therefore a 30-pound rifled gun was landed
from the Rattler on the 13th and an VIII-inch from the De Kalb on the
15th. The action was renewed again on the 13th, by both ironclads at
10.45 A.M., at a distance of eight hundred yards, and was severe until
2 P.M., when the Chillicothe was forced to retire, her ammunition
running short. The De Kalb remained in position until dark, firing
every fifteen minutes, but receiving no reply from the enemy. In this
day's fight the fort was much damaged, the earth covering and bales
being knocked away and the cotton set on fire in many places. None of
the guns were dismounted, but the large rifle was struck on the side
of the muzzle. The greater part of the powder was in a powder-boat a
mile away in the Yazoo, but small supplies for the immediate service
of the batter