The _Hartford_, like all the vessels, was subjected to a terrible fire, was assailed by the Confederate ironclads, and more than once was in imminent danger of being sent to the bottom.

Following with the second division, Captain Farragut did not reply to the fire of the forts for a quarter of an hour.

He hurled a broadside into St.Philip and was pushing through the dense smoke when a fire-raft, with a tug pushing her along, plunged out of the gloom toward the _Hartford's_ port quarter.

She swerved to elude this peril and ran aground close to St.Philip, which, recognizing her three ensigns and flag officer's flag, opened a savage fire, but luckily most of the shot passed too high.
There was no getting out of the way of the fire-raft, which, being jammed against the flagship, sent the flames through the portholes and up the oiled masts.

The perfect discipline of the crew enabled them to extinguish the fire before it could do much damage, and the _Hartford_ succeeded in backing into deep water and kept pounding Fort St.Philip so long as she was in range.
Without attempting to describe the battle in detail, we will give our attention to the _Mississippi_.