change delayed her starting, and instead of getting off at daybreak, as first intended, it was full sunrise before she was in front of Vicksburg. A hundred guns opened fire upon her as soon as she came in range, but only a few shots struck her.
She delivered a blow with her iron prow upon the side of the City of Vicksburg, but owing to the broad guards of the latter, the force of the impact was broken and the hull was not injured. Circumstances did not permit delay for a second blow, and the Queen of the West continued her journey down the stream after discharging some incendiary shells into the enemy's boat. The cotton on the Queen was fired by the enemy's shells, but all hands were set to work to extinguish the flames and no serious damage occurred. The steamer was soon out of range and tied up to the shore on the southerly side of Young's Point, where her commander was warmly greeted by the officers of the troops stationed there.
The boat was struck about a dozen times, but all damages were repaired in a few hours. She then steamed down the river. She burned several Confederate transports, returned for a supply of coal, and then started up the Red River on an expedition in which she captured one steamer, but was herself captured, having been run ashore under the guns of a fort through the treachery of her pilot. Part of the crew was taken with the boat, but the remainder, including Colonel Ellet, escaped to the steamer De Soto, a tender of the Queen. On the latter steamer the party descended the Red River to where the Era, one of the captured boats, was lying. The De Soto unshipped her rudder and could not be steered; she was blown up to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy, and the Era made good her escape and ascended the river to the position of the army near Vicksburg.
Soon after the descent of the Queen of the West in front of Vicksburg the gunboat Indianola followed her; she
