NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN.

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confirmed the impression. As early as the 27th of June Davis had urgentlyrecommended this step, and his recommendations, sustained by the earnestappeals of other officers, resulted in the creation of the “ tin-clads,” or “ light-draughts,” which during the next year performed invaluable service.

On the 15th of October Davis was relieved of this command, having beenappointed Chief of the Bureau of Navigation at the Navy Department.He was succeeded by Porter. Two important and much-needed changes inorganization took place about this time, the first being the formal transfer ofthe squadron on the 1st of October from the War Department , under whichit had first come into existence, to the Navy Department, which henceforthexercised exclusive direction of it. The second was the order of the Secretaryof War of November 8th, directing Ellet to report “for orders and duty” toPorter. These two changes made the vessels in the Mississippi for the firsttime a homogeneous naval force, and swept away all the complications ofcommand which had hitherto vexed and harassed its commander-in-chief.

Porter, as acting rear-admiral, assumed command of the Mississippi squadron at the naval depot at Cairo , which was now the headquarters.He received from Davis intact the squadron as it had come from Foote — theBenton , the seven Eads iron-clads, and the three Bodgers gun-boats. Hehad also Ellet’s nine rams and several very valuable captured vessels, includingthe Eastport, and Montgomery’s rams captured at Memphis — the Bragg,Billow, Price, and Little Rebel. The only vessels that had been withdrawnwere the Essex and Sumter, now in the river below Vicksburg . Porter was alsogetting at this very time an accession to his force in the new tin-clads,— theBrilliant, Rattler, Romeo, Juliet, Marmora, Signal, and others,— and an equallyimportant accession of iron-clads, the Lafayette and Choctaw, altered steam-boats of great power, and the newly (and rather badly) constructed boats,Chillicothe, Indianola, and Tuscumbia.

On the 21st of November Porter issued orders from Cairo to CaptainHenry Walke, then in command of the gun-boats patrolling the river belowHelena, to enter the Yazoo and destroy the batteries as far up as possible.Accordingly, on the 11th of December the Marmora and Signal entered theriver for twenty miles. They found that in the interval since Phelps’s raidin August, the Confederates had been by no means idle. The channel wasfull of scows and floats, indicating torpedoes, one of which exploded nearttie Signal, while another was discharged by musket-balls from the Marmora.Next day, as the river was rising, the light-draughts went in again, supportedby two iron-clads, the Cairo , Lieutenant-Commander T. O. Selfridge, and thePittsburgh , Lieutenant Hoel. The Queen of the West also went in. About adozen miles up, the Cairo was struck by two torpedoes, one exploding underber bow, the other under her quarter. She sank in twelve minutes, disap-pearing completely save the tops of her smoke-stacks. The discipline of theerew was perfect, the men remaining at quarters until they were ordereda way, and no lives were lost. Several torpedoes were removed before thee xpedition returned to the mouth of the river.

The object of both these expeditions was to prepare for the attack on