at half-past five the next morning the signal was thrown out to weigh,
and fall into the order prescribed; the wooden ships in couples, and the
ironclads in line by themselves; the Tecumseh in the van and the
Chickasaw in rear, according to the rank of their commanding officers.

At half-past six the fleet was across the bar and in order of battle. No
starlight or favoring clouds now, to partially mask its movements as at
the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, but the joyous sunshine,
flooding land and sea with its brightness, and mirroring its revealing
gleams upon fort and ship and pennon, serving friend and foe alike
impartially. Alas! for the brave souls to whom that gracious morning
light was the last of earth, but we may hope they awoke in a light of
still more radiance and glory, and amid paeans of a joyous host,
choiring "Well done, thou good and faithful servants, that didst give
thy lives to God and country!"

The soft south wind of that fair morn came like a benediction to the
fleet now sweeping on with the flood tide, and stillness like a sentient
presence, only disturbed by the sound of screw or paddle-wheel as they
turned ahead, hung over the ships till broken by the belching roar of
the Tecumseh's monster guns, as she threw two fifteen-inch shells into
Morgan--her first and last! And now, at seven, "by the chime," the
action became general, and the Tecumseh, having loaded with heaviest
charge and solid steel shot, steamed on ahead of the Brooklyn to attack
the Tennessee; but Craven, thinking he saw a movement on the part of the
ram to get out of the way, together with the seemingly too narrow space
between the fatal buoy and the shore for manoeuvre in case of need, gave
the order to starboard the helm, and head directly for the watchful
Tennessee, waiting with lock-strings in hand to salute the monitor as
she closed--gallant foeman worthy of her steel! So near and yet so far,