The river fell so rapidly that all the fleet would have been stranded above the falls but for the genius of Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Bailey, of Wisconsin, a military engineer who accompanied Banks’s expedition.  Under his direction several thousand men were set to work, and, at the end of twelve days, they had constructed a series of wing dams, through which the vessels were safely floated into the deeper water below the falls.  This accomplished their deliverance from what otherwise would have been certain destruction.  Porter pronounced the exploit of Bailey the greatest engineering feat of the whole war.  One of the Admiral’s most pleasing traits was his appreciation of the services of his assistants.  He complimented Bailey in glowing terms in his official report, secured his promotion to brigadier-general and presented him with a sword which cost nearly a thousand dollars.

[Illustration:  BREAKING THROUGH THE DAMS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.]

Porter was now transferred to the North Atlantic Squadron and commanded the powerful naval contingents in the two attacks on Fort Fisher, December, 1864, and January, 1865.  In the latter Porter and General Terry succeeded in capturing the last important sea fortress belonging to the Confederates.  Porter was promoted to be vice-admiral in 1866 and admiral in 1870.  He was superintendent of the naval academy until 1869, and died in Washington, February 13, 1891, one day before the death of General Sherman.

CHAPTER XXV.

Charles Stuart Boggs—­His Coolness in the Presence of Danger—­His Desperate Fight Below New Orleans—­His Subsequent Services.

When the gallant Lawrence, mortally wounded on the Chesapeake, was dying, he called out in his delirium, “Don’t give up the ship!” thus furnishing a motto that has served times without number for the American navy.  Among the mourning relatives left by Lawrence was a married sister, Mrs. Boggs, who lived in New Brunswick, N.J., where a son was born to her in January, 1811, and named Charles Stuart.

It was probably the admiration formed for his heroic uncle which led the boy to determine to follow in his footsteps, for he was appointed a midshipman when fifteen years old, and saw active service in the Mediterranean against the Greek pirates, to which reference has been made in a previous chapter.  He was made lieutenant in 1833.  One of the most marked traits in young Boggs was his perfect coolness in times of peril and his instant perception of the best thing to do.  The following incident will illustrate this remarkable power on his part, which was united to a gentleness of disposition that made one wonder at his daring and intrepidity.

During the war with Mexico Lieutenant Boggs was ordered to the steamer Princeton, which took a leading part in the bombardment of the Castle of St. Juan de Ulloa and of Tampico.  The brig Truxton unfortunately ran aground on the bar of Tuspan River and had to be surrendered to the Mexicans.  The Princeton was ordered to destroy her.  Anchoring near the wreck, a boat was manned and placed in charge of Lieutenant Boggs, to whom the work of destruction was intrusted.