A good deal of uneasiness prevailed in the Union fleet regarding the rebel rams.  It was known they were formidable monsters, which the Confederates believed could smash and sink the whole Union squadron.  While it was known that much was to be feared from the forts, it was the ironclads that formed the uncertain factor and magnified the real danger in many men’s minds.

The Mississippi was hardly abreast of Fort St. Philip when the dreaded Manassas came plunging down the river out of the gloom at full speed, and headed directly for the Mississippi. She was not seen until so close that it was impossible to dodge her, and the ironclad struck the steamer on the port side, close to the mizzenmast, firing a gun at the same time.  Fortunately the blow was a glancing one, though it opened a rent seven feet long and four inches deep in the steamer, which, being caught by the swift current on her starboard bow, was swept across to the Fort Jackson side of the river, so close indeed that her gunners and those in the fort exchanged curses and imprecations.

[Illustration:  SHELLING FORTS PHILIP AND JACKSON.]

The passage of the forts by the Union vessels forms one of the most thrilling pictures in the history of the Civil War.  The Hartford, like all the vessels, was subjected to a terrible fire, was assailed by the Confederate ironclads, and more than once was in imminent danger of being sent to the bottom.  Following with the second division, Captain Farragut did not reply to the fire of the forts for a quarter of an hour.  He hurled a broadside into St. Philip and was pushing through the dense smoke when a fire-raft, with a tug pushing her along, plunged out of the gloom toward the Hartford’s port quarter.  She swerved to elude this peril and ran aground close to St. Philip, which, recognizing her three ensigns and flag officer’s flag, opened a savage fire, but luckily most of the shot passed too high.

There was no getting out of the way of the fire-raft, which, being jammed against the flagship, sent the flames through the portholes and up the oiled masts.  The perfect discipline of the crew enabled them to extinguish the fire before it could do much damage, and the Hartford succeeded in backing into deep water and kept pounding Fort St. Philip so long as she was in range.

Without attempting to describe the battle in detail, we will give our attention to the Mississippi.  Within an hour and a quarter of the time the leading vessel passed the forts, all had reached a safe point above, where they engaged in a furious fight with the Confederate flotilla, the smaller members of which were soon disabled or sunk.

[Illustration:  THE “HARTFORD”—­FARRAGUT’S FLAGSHIP.]