in the attempt to save the vessel,
was obliged to admit that there was no hope. The river was falling
steadily, the pilots said there was already too little water for her
draught on the bars below, and the crew were worn out with six days of
incessant labor. The attempt was made to remove her plating, but it
was not possible to do so soon enough. Orders were therefore given to
transfer the ship's company to the Fort Hindman, whose captain,
Lieutenant Pearce, had worked like her own to save her, and to blow
the Eastport up. Eight barrels of powder were placed under her forward
casemate, a like number in the stern, and others about the machinery,
trains were laid fore and aft, and at 1.45 P.M. Phelps himself lit the
match and left the vessel. He had barely time to reach the Hindman
before the explosions took place in rapid succession; then the flames
burst out and the vessel was soon consumed.

The three remaining gunboats and the two pump-boats now began a
hazardous retreat down the river. Just as the preparations for blowing
up the Eastport were completed, a rush was made by twelve hundred men
from the right bank to board the Cricket, which was tied up. Her
captain, Gorringe, backed clear, and opening upon them with grape and
canister, supported by a cross fire from the other boats, the attack
was quickly repelled. They were not again molested until they had gone
twenty miles farther, to about five miles above the mouth of Cane
River. Here they came in sight of a party of the enemy, with eighteen
pieces of artillery, drawn up on the right bank. At this time the
Cricket was leading with the admiral's flag; the Juliet following,
lashed to one pump-boat; the Hindman in the rear. The Cricket opened
at once, and the enemy replied. Gorringe stopped his vessel, meaning
to fight and cover those astern, but the admiral directed him to move
ahead. Before headway was gained the enemy was pouring in a pelting
shower of shot and shell, the two broadside guns' crews were swept
away, one gun disabled, and at the same instant the chief engineer was
killed, and all but one of the men in the fire-room wounded. In these
brief moments the Juliet was also disabled by a shot in her machinery,
the rudder of the pump-boat lashed to her was struck, and the boiler
of the other was exploded. The captain of the latter, with almost the
entire ship's company, numbering two hundred,[20] were scalded to
death, while the boat, enveloped in steam, drif