ide being over it. The Lexington
and a towboat were alongside helping to pump her out. Giving orders
that she should be lightened, he kept on down to Alexandria to start
two pump-boats up to her and to look after the affairs of the squadron
both along the Red River and in the Mississippi. On his return, two
days later, he found her with her battery and ammunition out and the
pump-boats alongside. By this time it was known that the army would
not advance again, and that Banks was anxious to get back to
Alexandria. The officers and crew of the Eastport worked night and day
to relieve her, and on the 21st she was again afloat, with fires
started, but as yet they had not been able to come at the leak. That
day she made twenty miles, but at night grounded on a bar, to get over
which took all the 22d. Four or five miles farther down she again
grounded, and another day was spent in getting her off. Two or three
times more she was gotten clear and made a few more miles down the
river by dint of extreme effort; but at last, on the 26th, she
grounded on some logs fifty miles below the scene of the accident, in
a position evidently hopeless.

Selfridge's division of light ironclads had been compelled by the
falling water to drop below the bar at Grand Ecore, and, as they were
there of no further use to the army, had continued down to Alexandria,
except the Hindman, which was kept by the Eastport. On the 22d the
army evacuated Grand Ecore and marched for Alexandria. On this retreat
the advance and rear-guard had constant skirmishing with the enemy. At
Cane River the Confederates had taken position to dispute the
crossing, and the advance had a serious fight to drive them off. The
rear-guard also had one or two quite sharp encounters, but the army
reached Alexandria without serious loss on the 26th.

The Eastport and Fort Hindman were now in a very serious position,
aground in a hostile river, their own army sixty miles away, and
between it and them the enemy lining the banks of the river. The
admiral, having seen the rest of his fleet in safety, returned to the
crippled boat, taking with him only two tinclads, the Cricket and
Juliet; but the Osage and Neosho were ordered to move up forty miles,
near the mouth of Cane River, so as to be in readiness to render
assistance. On the 26th, the commander of the Eastport, whose calmness
and hopefulness had won the admiral's admiration and led him to linger
longer than was perhaps prudent,