12-pounder; but at the second round the 20-pounder Parrot was disabled by blowing out its vent-piece.
Our intention was to dash our bow near the enemy's wheel-house, just in rear of the coal barge, but when about fifty yards distant he backed and interposed the barge between us and him. Our bow went crushing clear through the barge, heavily loaded with coal, and was not arrested until it struck with a violent shock, and scattered some of his timbers amidship, deeply indenting the iron plating of his hull.
So tremendous had been the momentum of our attack, made under full pressure of steam, that for some minutes we could not disengage ourselves, but remained with our bow against the sides of the Indianola, held fast by the pressure of the coal and barge through which we had crushed. In this position our sharp-shooters kept up fire, sweeping the deck of the enemy, who feebly answered.
After a brief interval one of the coal barges sank, and the other drifted down the current; and the Queen finding herself free, immediately rounded up stream, to add to her next charge the additional power obtainable from the descending current of the river. Just then the Webb came dashing by us, and plunged into the Indianola with great force just in rear, or on the turn of her bow.
Some of the iron plating was loosened, but this blow of the Webb produced no serious external injury, though prisoners since report that it disabled the left-hand engine.
As the Webb approached on this her first charge, the two 11-inch Dahlgreen guns in the forward casemate of the enemy opened on her at seventy-five yards distant, but fortunately she was untouched.
The vigor of the Web's onset forced the enemy around, and carrying her forward laid her across and in actual contact with these monitor guns, if run out in battery. Dashing safely around from this perilous position, the Webb swung across the bow and on to the starboard side of the enemy, getting between him and his remaining coal barge, breaking its fastenings and setting it adrift.
The result of our first onset was to strip the Indianola of the two coal barges which protected her sides, and to injure her to some extent in her wheel, which was apparent from the subsequent want of rapidity and precision in her movements.
As soon as the Webb swept away clear of the enemy the Queen swung around and again dashed upon him, who this time with partial success endeavored to break the force of the onset, by presenting his bow to our bow. But his movements were too torpid, and not entirely successful, which tends to confirm the belief that his machinery was injured by the first blow.
The Queen struck a little forward of midships, but, as he was turning, the force of the blow glanced along his side and passed his wheel-house.
Just as the Queen swung clear of his stern, he opened upon us with two 9-inch guns in his after iron casemate at so near a range
