▁Samuel ▁M . ▁P ook , ▁and ▁their ▁strange ▁appearance . ▁The ▁fifth ▁gun bo at , ▁flags hip ▁, ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁E ads ▁ship y ards , ▁but ▁was ▁converted ▁from ▁a ▁civil ian ▁craft . ▁Each ▁of ▁these ▁vessels ▁carried ▁from ▁ 1 3 – 1 6 ▁guns . ▁The ▁other ▁four ▁vessels ▁were ▁r ams , ▁with ▁no ▁arm ament ▁whatever , ▁aside ▁from ▁the ▁small ▁arms ▁carried ▁by ▁the ▁officers . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁r ams ▁had ▁been ▁converted ▁from ▁civil ian ▁river bo ats , ▁and ▁had ▁no ▁common ▁design . ▁ ▁Organ ization ▁Both ▁sides ▁entered ▁the ▁battle ▁with ▁fault y ▁command ▁structures . ▁The ▁federal ▁gun bo ats ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁Squadron , ▁commanded ▁directly ▁by ▁Flag ▁Officer ▁Charles ▁H . ▁Davis , ▁who ▁reported ▁to ▁Major ▁General ▁Henry ▁W . ▁Halle ck . ▁The ▁gun bo ats ▁were ▁thus ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army , ▁although ▁their ▁officers ▁were ▁supplied ▁by ▁the ▁n avy . ▁The ▁r ams ▁were ▁led ▁by ▁Colonel ▁Charles ▁El let , ▁Jr ., ▁who ▁reported ▁directly ▁to ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁Ed win ▁M . ▁St anton . ▁Thus ▁the ▁federal ▁" f le et " ▁consisted ▁of ▁two ▁independent ▁organizations , ▁with ▁no ▁common ▁command ▁outside ▁of ▁Washington . ▁ ▁The ▁Confeder ate ▁arrangement ▁was ▁even ▁worse . ▁The ▁cot ton cl ads ▁were ▁about ▁half ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁four teen ▁river ▁steam ers ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁seized ▁at ▁New