The former ran into one of the rebel ships and almost cut her in twain. The “Varuna” was rammed by the “Manassas” and another ship and went to the bottom in fifteen minutes. While she was going down she fired into one of her adversaries and so damaged her that she had to surrender to the “Oneida,” and she sent a shell into another rebel gunboat which exploded its boiler. All the time the remaining vessels of the first division were steaming by the forts, pouring tremendous volleys into them and receiving tremendous discharges in return. Farragut’s flag ship, the “Hartford,” led the second division of the fleet. She was a noble vessel, splendidly equipped; she steamed into the fight and was followed by the long line of ships in the second and third divisions. By this hour day was dawning, but heavy clouds of smoke hung over the river and no light from the east reached the battling ships. The cannonading which all along had been terrific was now growing sublime. Three hundred heavily shotted guns were flashing and roaring over the dark water. The Union ships advanced to the fray like the famous “Light Brigade,” with cannon to the right of them, to the left of them and before them. Probably it was the most picturesque naval battle in the world’s history. Thirty-four armed vessels and two great forts were struggling in the early morning. The sun seemed to stand still in the heavens. The light of the guns was brighter than the orb of day, and Farragut’s gunners had to aim at the cannon flashes from the rebel forts. The forts themselves were not visible. The vessels of the enemy were not visible. Our ships were striking great blows in the dark and they always struck with deadly effect. From points above the rebels pushed great fire barges loaded with blazing pitch and cotton into the stream. These rafts came floating down and when they did not ignite our ships they illuminated them for the Confederate marksmen. A flaming fire raft was hurled against the “Hartford” and flames ran from the water’s edge to the mast top. The well trained crew extinguished the fire and within five minutes the “Hartford” destroyed a rebel steamer filled with boarding parties. The “Brooklyn,” another Union ship, encountered a fire raft and for a time lay helpless before the merciless guns of Fort Jackson. Disentangling herself, she steamed up to the fort and poured such withering broadsides into it that its guns were silenced for a time, and the gunners were seen by the ship’s crew as they peered through the cannon-lighted portholes, to be fleeing from their guns. At this time the vessels which had passed the forts were doing good work, and the stream was filled with wrecked and burning Confederate gunboats. Fire rafts and wrecks came drifting down side by side, and frequently one of the latter would explode with a loud report. The low, curved iron rams glided about like gigantic serpents of the sea. Boarding parties