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[336] Manassas, the floating battery Louisiana, and sixteen other armed vessels, all under the command of Captain Mitchell of the Louisiana, were, for a few moments, intent upon her destruction. To stand and fight would have been madness in Captain Bailey, for no supporting friend appeared. So he exercised his skill in steering his vessel in a manner to escape the butting of the rams, and the attempts to board her. Thus he saved the Cayuga. He did more. In his maneuvers he was offensive as well as defensive, and compelled three of the Confederate gun-boats to surrender to him before the Varuna, Captain Boggs, and the Oneida, Captain Lee, came to his rescue. Then the Cayuga, which had been struck forty-two times during the struggle, and much damaged in spars and rigging, moved up the river pursuant to Farragut's orders to Bailey as leader of the fleet.

The Varuna was now the chief object of the wrath of the foe, and terribly its vials were poured upon her. Commander Boggs said, in his report, that immediately after passing the forts, he found himself “amid a nest of rebel steamers.” His vessel rushed into their midst, and fired broadsides into each as he passed. The first one that received the Varuna's fire seemed to be crowded with troops. Her boiler was exploded by a shot, and she drifted ashore. Soon afterward the Varuna drove three other vessels (one a gun-boat) ashore, in flames, and all of them blew up. She was soon afterward

Charles Boggs.

furiously attacked by the ram Governor Moore, commanded by Beverly Kennon, who had abandoned his flag. It raked along the Varuna's port gangway, killing four and wounding nine of her crew. Boggs managed, he said, “to get a three-inch shell into her, abaft her armor, and also several shot from the after rifled gun, when she dropped out of action, partially disabled.”

Meanwhile another ram, its iron prow under water, struck the Varuna a heavy blow in the port gangway. The Varuna's shot in return glanced harmlessly from the armored bow of her antagonist. Backing off a short distance, and then shooting forward, the ram gave the Varuna another blow at the same place, and crushed in her side. The ram, becoming entangled, was drawn around nearly to the side of the Varuna, when Boggs gave her five 8-inch shells abaft her armor from his port guns. “This settled her,” said Boggs, “and drove her ashore in flames.” Finding his own vessel sinking, he ran her into the bank, let go her anchor, and tied her bow up to the

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Louisiana (Louisiana, United States) (2)
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