Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/179

 The Story of the Arkansas. 169

them. As he passed he did not fire, nor did he whilst we were rid- dHng him close aboard. His only effort was to get away from us. He backed hard on his engines and finally got off; but getting a shot in his machinery just as he got afloat, he was compelled to fioat down stream and join the lower fleet, which he accomplished without damage from the batteries on the hills. He fired only the three shots mentioned. But oiiv troubles were not over. We had scarcely shook this fellow off before we were called to the other end of the ship — we ran from one gun to another to get ready for a second attack. The Queen was now close to us, evidently determined to ram us. The guns had been fired and were now empty and inboard. Somehow \nq got them loaded and run out, and by the time she had commenced to round to. I am not sure, but I think we struck her with the Columbiads as she came down, but at all events the broadside was ready. Captain Brown adopted the plan of turning his head to her also, and thus re- ceived her blow glancing. She came into us going at an enormous speed, probably fifteen miles and hour, and I felt pretty sure that our hour had struck. I had hoped to blow her up with the thirty-two- pounder as she passed, but the gun bemg an old one, with an enlarged vent, the primer drew out without igniting the charge. One of the men, we had no regular gun's crews then, every man was expected to do ten men's duty, replaced it and struck it with a compressor lever ; but too late ; his boilers were past, and the shot went through his cylinder timbers without disabling him. His blow, though glancing, was a heavy one. His prow, or beak, made a hole through our side and caused the ship to careen, and roll heavily; but we all knew in an instant that no serious damage had been done, and we redoubled our efforts to cripple him so that he could not again attempt the ex- periment. As did the Essex, so he ran into the bank astern of us, and got the contents of the stern battery ; but being more nimble than she, was sooner off into deep water. Returning up stream he got our broadside guns again, and we saw that he had no disposi- tion to engage us further. As he passed the line of fire of the bow guns he got it again, and I distinctly recollect the handsomest shot I ever made was the last at her. He was nearly a mile away, and I bowled at him with the gun lying level. It ricochetted four or five times before it dropped into his stern. But it dropped there. As I have before said, the Essex was drifting down stream unmanageable, and now would have been our time to have ended her in sight ot both squadrons, but we had but seventeen men and they well-nigh ex- hausted. Beating otif these two vessels, under the circumstances, was