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RECOLLECTIONS OF FOOTE AND THE GUN-BOATS.

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THE “DE KALB,” FORMERLY THE “ST. LOUTS” (TYPE OF THE “ CARONDELET,” “CINCINNATI, ” “LOUISVILLE,”“MOUND CITY,” “CAIRO,” AND “PITTSBURGH ”). FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

a central wheel with which the boat was to be propelled. This wheel wasturned by the original engines of the snag-boat, each of the engines havingformerly turned an independent wheel on the outside of the twin boat. Inthis manner the Benton became a war vessel of about seventy-five feet beam,a greater breadth, perhaps, than that of any war vessel then afloat. She wasabout two hundred feet long. A slanting casemate, covered with iron plates,was placed on her sides and across her bow and stern; and the wheel wasprotected in a similar manner. The casemate on the sides and bow was cov-ered with iron 3J inches thick; the wheel-house and stern with lighter plates,like the first seven boats built by me. She carried 16 guns,—7 32-pounders,2 9-inch guns, and 7 army 42-pounders.

The wish of Admiral Foote to have me see this boat safely to Cairo wasprompted by his knowledge that I had had experience in the management ofsteamboats upon the river, and his fear that she would be detained bygrounding. Ice had just begun to float in the Mississippi when the Bentonput out from my ship-yard at Carondelet for the South. Some 30 or 40 milesbelow St. Louis she grounded. Under the direction of Captain Winslow, whocommanded the vessel, Lieutenant Bishop, executive officer of the ship, anintelligent and energetic young man, set the crew at work. An anchor wasput out for the purpose of hauling her off. My advice was not asked withreference to this first proceeding, and although I had been requested byAdmiral Foote to accompany the vessel, he had not instructed the captain,so far as I knew, to be guided by my advice in case of difficulty. After theyhad been working all night to get the boat afloat, she was harder on thanever; moreover, the water had fallen about six inches. I then volunteeredthe opinion to Captain Winslow that if he would run hawsers ashore in a eer-