My horse put his fore feet over the bank without hesitation or urging, and with his hind feet well under him, slid down the bank and trotted aboard the boat, twelve or fifteen feet away, over a single gang plank.

I dismounted and went at once to the upper deck.
The Mississippi River was low on the 7th of November, 1861, so that the banks were higher than the heads of men standing on the upper decks of the steamers.

The rebels were some distance back from the river, so that their fire was high and did us but little harm.

Our smoke-stack was riddled with bullets, but there were only three men wounded on the boats, two of whom were soldiers.

When I first went on deck I entered the captain's room adjoining the pilot-house, and threw myself on a sofa.