at
Hard Times. The limitation to the power of the vessels was very
clearly shown here, as at Fort Donelson; the advantage given by
commanding height could not be overcome by them. On a level, as at
Fort Henry, or with slight advantage of command against them, as at
Arkansas Post, the chances were that they would at close quarters win
by disabling or silencing the guns; but when it came to a question of
elevation the guns on shore were too much sheltered. Even so, it may
be looked upon as an unusual misfortune that after tearing the works
to pieces as they did, no gun of the Confederates was seriously
injured. On the other hand, though the gunboats were roughly handled,
it could be claimed for them, too, that they were not silenced, and
that, like the earthworks, they were not, with one exception,
seriously injured. The loss of the fleet was: the Benton, 7 killed and
19 wounded; Tuscumbia, 5 killed and 24 wounded; Pittsburg, 6 killed
and 13 wounded. The Lafayette had one man wounded, while the remaining
vessels lost none.

In the afternoon the Confederates were observed to be repairing their
works, so the Lafayette was ordered down to stop them. She soon drove
off the working parties, and then kept up a steady fire at five-minute
intervals against the upper battery until 8 P.M., getting no reply
from a work which had responded so vigorously in the morning.

That evening the fleet got under way at 8 P.M., the Benton leading,
followed by the other gunboats and the transports, the Lafayette
joining as they reached her station. The armed vessels again engaged
the batteries and the transports slipped safely by under cover of this
attack, receiving no injury; in fact, being struck not more than two
or three times. As soon as they had passed, the gunboats followed, and
tied up again on the Louisiana shore, four miles below Grand Gulf. One
life only was lost in the night action, on board the Mound City.

At daylight the following morning the work of carrying the army across
the Mississippi to Bruinsburg began, the gunboats as well as the
transports aiding in the operation.

The same day, April 30th, a feigned attack was made at Haines's Bluff
by the vessels of the squadron remaining above Vicksburg, under
Lieutenant-Commander K.R. Breese, in conjunction with the Fifteenth
Army Corps, under General W.T. Sherman. The object of General Grant in
ordering this demonstration was to hinder the Confederates at
Vicksburg from sendi