Knowing full well that the Chickasaw’s eleven-inch shot would not penetrate the stout side-armor of the Tennessee, Perkins made for the weakest part of the vessel—­her stern, and hung there close aboard, pouring solid shot of iron and steel into that vital part with the accuracy of pistol-shooting, until the ram surrendered; then taking her in tow, carried her near the flagship.  He had fired fifty-two shots, and, says the officer of the Hartford already quoted:  “The guns of the Chickasaw jammed the steering gear of the ram, also the port stopper of the after port disabling the after gun, and a shot from the Chickasaw broke Admiral Buchanan’s leg.”

But said Commander Nicholson of the Manhattan, in his official report:  “Of the six fifteen-inch projectiles fired from this vessel at the rebel ironclad Tennessee, I claim four as having struck, doing most of the real injuries that she has sustained”; then enumerating the injuries inflicted, which included most of those claimed for the Chickasaw.  Upon which claim put forth by the Manhattan, the writer ventures the opinion:  First, that four hits out of six shots was poor shooting for a monitor at a target like the Tennessee, and suggestive of considerable distance between the vessels; second, that eye-witnesses have affirmed that only one of the Manhattan’s shot took effect, a solid shot that struck the ram on the port beam, crushing her armor and splintering the backing, but not entering the casemate, though leaving a clean hole through; third, that the effect of that one shot showed what the Manhattan might have accomplished had she taken as favorable a position as that chosen by the Chickasaw; fourth, that it is believed the report of a board of survey confirmed the opinion as to that one shot; fifth, that, as between the great difference of sound in the firing of the fifteen-inch gun and an eleven-inch, and the greater destructive effect of the larger projectiles which could not but be felt by those receiving it, the enemy would best be likely to know from what source they sustained the most vital damage; sixth, that the concurrent opinions of the day, as given by press correspondents, eye-witnesses to the conflict, magazine summaries, official reports, the praise of Perkins on every lip, the talk of his promotion by distinguished officers, and the testimony of the enemy themselves, including Admiral Buchanan and Captain Johnston, all go to show that the surrender of the Tennessee was due more to the dogged and unrelenting effort and skilful management of Perkins of the Chickasaw than from any other cause.

Asked the Tennessee’s pilot of “Metacomet” Jouett:  “Who commanded the monitor that got under our stern?” adding, “D——­n him! he stuck to us like a leech; we could not get away from him.  It was he who cut away the steering gear, jammed the stern port shutters, and wounded Admiral Buchanan.”

Said Captain Johnston, in the same vein:  “If it had not been for that d——­d black hulk hanging on our stern we would have got along well enough; she did us more damage than all the rest of the Federal fleet.”