ectively, and the pump-boat
suffered the more from the enemy's fire. Maitland was still piloting
her, and when nearly opposite the batteries he was wounded in both
legs by a shell. He dropped on his knees, unable to handle the wheel,
and the boat ran into the bank on the enemy's side. Another shell
struck the pilot-house, wounding him again in several places, and a
third cut away a bell-rope and the speaking-tube. Rallying a little,
Maitland now got hold of and rang another bell and had the boat backed
across the river. The crew attempted to escape, but were all taken
prisoners, the captain and one other having been killed. In the two
days encounters the Juliet was hit nearly as often as the Cricket and
lost 15 killed and wounded; the Hindman, though repeatedly struck and
much cut up, only 3 killed and 5 wounded. The fire of the enemy's
sharpshooters was very annoying for some miles farther down, but
twelve miles below the batteries they met the Neosho going up to their
assistance.

The main interest of the retreat of the squadron centres in the
Eastport and her plucky little consorts, but the other vessels had had
their own troubles in getting down the river. The obstacles to be
overcome are described as enough to appal the stoutest heart by the
admiral, who certainly was not a man of faint heart. Guns had to be
removed and the vessels jumped over sand-bars and logs, but the
squadron arrived in time to prevent any attack on the reserve stores
before the main body of the army came up.

At Alexandria the worst of their troubles awaited them, threatening to
make all that had yet been done vain. The river, which ordinarily
remains high till June, had not only failed to reach its usual height
but had so fallen that they could not pass the rapids. General W.T.
Sherman, who had lived at Alexandria before the war, thought twelve
feet necessary before going up, a depth usually found from March to
June. At the very least seven were needed by the gunboats to go down,
and on the 30th of April of this year there were actually only three
feet four inches. The danger was the greatest that had yet befallen
the fleet, and seemingly hopeless. A year before, in the Yazoo bayous,
the position had been most critical, but there the peril came from the
hand of man and was met and repelled by other men. Here Nature herself
had turned against them, forsaking her usual course to do them harm.
Ten gunboats and two tugs were thus imprisoned in