CHAPTER VIII.
SOON after the secession of Tennessee, efforts were made to construct vessels for war purposes, and at Memphis were commenced two ironclad rams, the Arkansas and the Tennessee. Upon the fall of Memphis the latter vessel was burned, but the Arkansas was carried by her commander, Capt. Charles H. McBlair, to the Yazoo river. Captain McBlair was relieved of command by Lieut. Isaac N. Brown, who by extraordinary and unparalleled exertions got her ready for service by July, 1862. She was indifferently armored, but had a formidable battery, viz., two 8-inch columbiads, two 9-inch Dahlgren guns, four 6-inch rifles and two smooth-bore 32-pounders. She drew 14 feet of water, and had a maximum speed of six knots. She was admirably officered with Lieuts. H. K. Stevens, J. Grimball, A. D. Wharton, C. W. Read, A. Barbot and George W. Gift; Surg. H. Washington, Asst. Surg. C. M. Morfit, Asst. Paymaster Richard Taylor; Engineers City, Covert, Jackson, Brown, Doland, Dupuy and Gettis; Acting Masters Phillips and Milliken ; Midshipmen Bacot, Scales and Tyler; Gunner Travers and Master's Mate Wilson, with Messrs. Shacklette, Gilmore, Brady and Hodges as pilots, and a crew of 200 men, principally soldiers and rivermen.
Upon consultation with General Van Dora, commanding at Vicksburg in the summer of 1862, Captain Brown determined to proceed in the Arkansas to that city, distant by water about fifty miles. To do this he had to
