Admiral Farragut ordered the _Hartford_ to go ahead, "full speed." She passed the _Brooklyn_, and made straight for the mines that had sunk the _Tecumseh_. As they crossed the line of torpedoes, the sailors could hear them grating against the hull of the vessel. None of them exploded, however, and the _Hartford_ passed the fatal line in safety. The effect of this daring deed was wonderful. Men sprang to the guns, and the air was filled with the roar of cannon. The other vessels all followed the _Hartford_ across the torpedoes, into the bay. They then attacked the Confederate fleet, and soon either captured or destroyed all but the ram _Tennessee_. This vessel had taken refuge under the guns of Fort Morgan. Admiral Farragut then anchored about four miles up the bay. While his men were having breakfast the iron ram steamed out boldly from the fort to attack the whole fleet. [Illustration: ADMIRAL BUCHANAN.] Admiral Buchanan, the commander of the Confederate fleet, was a brave officer. Not until after a fierce combat, which lasted over an hour, was he forced to surrender the _Tennessee_. This ended the battle of Mobile Bay. "It was one of the hardest earned victories of my life, and the most desperate battle I ever fought since the days of the _Essex_," said Farragut. Not quite three hours had passed from the time that Fort Morgan fired its first gun until the _Tennessee_ surrendered. With the Confederate fleet destroyed, and Mobile Bay in possession of Farragut, the forts were soon captured. While Farragut had been winning these victories in the Gulf, a very brilliant naval battle had been fought off the coast of France. [Illustration: CAPTAIN RAPHAEL SEMMES.] During the whole of the war, England had allowed the Confederates to fit out armed cruisers in her harbors, and to send them out to prey upon the United States commerce. The most famous of these cruisers was the _Alabama_, commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes. For two years this vessel had roamed the sea, burning and destroying nearly forty United States merchantmen, but always eluding the war vessels. At last, in June, 1864, the United States war vessel _Kearsarge_ discovered this enemy in the harbor of Cherbourg, France. As it would have been against the laws of nations to fight a battle in the harbor, the _Kearsarge_ remained outside to prevent the _Alabama_ from getting away. Finally on Sunday, June 19th, the _Alabama_ suddenly put to sea and attacked the _Kearsarge_. The vessels were evenly matched. The battle following was terrific. But the crew of the _Kearsarge_ proved to be the better marksmen, and after an hour's furious fighting the _Alabama_ suddenly gave a great lurch and plunged to the bottom of the ocean: The crew were picked up by the _Kearsarge_ and some English vessels which happened to be near. X.--WELL-EARNED LAURELS.