...ksburg where the bulk of the fleet and sixteen of Commodore Porter's mortar-boats, or bombers, as they were rather familiarly called, were now lying at anchor. After the failure of the attack by Farragut and Porter's fleets on the 28th of June, Farragut sent an urgent appeal for aid to Halleck, at Corinth, saying: My orders, General, are to clear the river. This I find impossible without your assis...