"
The strength of the Bronx was mainly in her heavy midship gun. The
commander had ascertained the range of the twenty-four pounder barbette
guns of the fort, and made his calculations accordingly. He could batter
down the masonry of the works at his leisure, if he chose to waste his
time and ammunition in that way; but the Confederates proposed to
abandon the fort, and it would not pay to destroy it.
"Fourteen and a half feet!" shouted the leadsman.
"That will do, Mr. Flint; stop her, and let go the anchor. Get out a
spring astern and make it fast to that buoy," said the commander.
In ten minutes more the Bronx quivered under the discharge of the great
midship gun, and a cloud of smoke rose above her deck.
"Good for you, Mr. Ambleton!" exclaimed Christy, a few seconds later,
when he saw the wreck of one of the twenty-four pounders on the fort.
This result was followed by emphatic cheers from the forty-five men on
deck.
"I can do that again, Captain Passford," replied the gunner, who was in
charge of the piece.
"Do it, then," added Christy.
He did not do quite as well every time, but in two hours there was not a
gun in place on the barbette of the fort.
CHAPTER XXXI
A WOUNDED COMMANDER
The fort had become harmless so far as the use of its guns was
concerned; but the channel of the Grand Pass was hardly a quarter of a
mile in width, and even twenty soldiers with muskets could pick off the
men on the deck of the Bronx.
Pages:
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276