wounded how she could live a moment under the raining fire of shot and shell.

At this point we found that the barge which was made fast on the Vicksburg side was drifting us with the eddy close to the batteries. I therefore ordered Lieutenant McBride, acting mate, to cut her loose, which he did, with the aid of Corporal Flanagan, under a most terrific fire of musketry and artillery. The noble Tigress stood all well, and we thought all safe, as we had passed nearly all the batteries, when she received a very heavy shot in the stern, which knocked away three knees and two planks, making an opening of at least 4 feet in her hull, which was reported to me by Lieutenant Smith, who had charge of the men in the hold, who were stationed there to put cotton bags into such holes as might be made by their shot. The Tigress received in all thirty-five shots (as near as I could judge), fourteen of which struck her hull, the last one causing her to fill and settle fast.

The engineers set the boiler pumps at work, and I ordered the pilot to run her ashore on the Louisiana side, which we reached just in time, for she went to the bottom a few minutes after getting our line out. Not a man of my crew left his post until ordered so to do, the engineers and firemen being in water up to their knees before being relieved. I assembled my crew on the hurricane deck, and hailed the steamer J. W. Cheeseman, which came alongside.

As ordered by you, I removed my crew on board of her. The steamer Empire City also came alongside, but in a helpless condition, having her steam pipe cut. By the time I had removed my crew on board the Cheeseman, day began to break. At the request of Captain Harrison, and also of yourself, I took command of the Cheeseman, with the Empire City in tow, to run by the Warrenton batteries; but when near Warrenton I found we could not control our boat with the other in tow, and was therefore forced to cut her loose and let her float. Sixteen shots were fired at us from the Warrenton batteries, three of which struck the boat, but doing us no material damage. We dropped out of range, and waited for the Empire City to float by, which she did without injury, we towing her into the channel from time to time, and escorting her down, arriving safely at New Carthage at 8 o'clock on the morning of the 23rd, having run by the batteries at Warrenton in daylight.

I cannot speak too highly of the officers and crew of the Tigress. Not a man left his post, each trying to excel the other in doing his duty. The men remained where placed, and three times promptly extinguished the fires, which caught from the excessive heat near the fire doors.

The following are the officers and men of the Seventh Missouri Volunteer Infantry composing the volunteer crew of the steamer Tigress:

Colonel Clark B. Lagow, aide to General Grant, commanditenant Colonel W. S. Oliver, Seventh Missouri Infantry, commanding Tigress.

George Britton, citizen pilot.

Sergt. W. T. Followell, Company E, Seventh Missouri, SECOND pilot.

Captain P. D. Toomer, Company H, Seventh Missouri, chief engineer.

Lieutenant A. P. Cindel, Company D, Seventh Missouri, first assistant engineer.

Sergt. Robert H. Menagh, Company K, Seventh Missouri, SECOND assistant engineer.

Lieutenant D. W. McBridge, Company F, Seventh Missouri, mate.

Lieutenant Henry Smith, Company E, Seventh Missouri, SECOND mate.

Crew (Seventh Missouri Infantry.)

Sergt. J. Fitzgerald, Company B.

Private John Ward, Company B.

Private Barney Brady, Company B.

Private Daniel Ryan, Company B.

Private Henry Ische, Company C.

Sergt. Michael Whealan, Company D.

Private Nathaniel Hurst, Company E.

Private Buford Mullins, Company E.