"The four iron-clad boats--the Essex, Carondelet, St. Louis, and Cincinnati--will keep in line. The Conestoga, Lexington, and Tyler will follow the iron-clads, and throw shells over those in advance." To the commanders he said:-- "_Do just as I do!_" Addressing the crews, he said:-- "Fire slowly, and with deliberate aim. There are three reasons why you should not fire rapidly. With rapid firing there is always a waste of ammunition. Your range is imperfect, and your shots go wide of the mark, and that encourages the enemy; and it is desirable not to heat the guns. If you fire slowly and deliberately, you will keep cool yourselves, and make every shot tell." With such instructions, with all things ready,--decks cleared for action, guns run out, shot and shell brought up from the magazines and piled on deck,--confident of success, and determined to take the fort or go to the bottom, he waited the appointed hour. The gunboats steam up slowly against the current, that the troops may have time to get into position in rear of the Rebel intrenchments. They take the channel on the west side of the island. The Essex is on the right of the battle line, nearest the island. Her Commander is William D. Porter, who comes from good stock. It was his father who commanded the Essex in the war with Great Britain in 1813, and who fought most gallantly a superior force,--two British ships, the Phebe and Cherub,--in the harbor of Valparaiso. Next the Essex is the Carondelet, then the Cincinnati,--the flag-ship, with the brave Commodore on board,--and nearest the western shore the St. Louis. These are all iron-plated at the bows. Astern is the Lexington, the Conestoga, and the Tyler. [Illustration: FORT HENRY. 1 Essex. 2 Carondelet. 3 Cincinnati. 4 St. Louis. 5 Lexington. 6 Conestoga. 7 Tyler. 8 & 9 Rebel intrenchment.] The boats reach the head of the island, and the fort is in full view. It is thirty-four minutes past twelve o'clock. There is a flash, and a great creamy cloud of smoke at the bow of the Cincinnati. An eight-inch shell screams through the air. The gunners watch its course. Their practised eyes follow its almost viewless flight. Your watch ticks fifteen seconds before you hear from it. You see a puff of smoke, a cloud of sand thrown up in the fort, and then hear the explosion. The commanders of the other boats remember the instructions,--"Do just as I do!"--and from each vessel a shell is thrown. All fall within the fort, or in the encampment beyond, which is in sight. You can see the tents, the log-huts, the tall flagstaff. The fort accepts the challenge, and instantly the twelve guns which are in position to sweep the river open upon the advancing boats. The shot and shell plough furrows in the stream, and throw columns of water high in air.