▁up ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁battle ▁across ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁firing ▁their ▁rear ▁guns ▁at ▁the ▁cot ton cl ads ▁coming ▁up ▁to ▁meet ▁them ▁as ▁they ▁entered ▁the ▁battle ▁stern ▁first . ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁r ams ▁advanced ▁beyond ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁gun bo ats ▁and ▁ram med ▁or ▁otherwise ▁dis rupted ▁the ▁movements ▁of ▁their ▁oppon ents ; ▁the ▁other ▁r ams ▁mis inter pre ted ▁their ▁orders ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁enter ▁the ▁battle ▁at ▁all . ▁With ▁the ▁federal ▁r ams ▁and ▁gun bo ats ▁not ▁coordin ating ▁their ▁movements ▁and ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁vessels ▁operating ▁independently , ▁the ▁battle ▁soon ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁me lee . ▁It ▁is ▁agreed ▁by ▁all ▁that ▁the ▁ram ▁flags hip , ▁, ▁initi ated ▁host ilities ▁by ▁sl am ming ▁into ▁CSS ▁Colonel ▁Lov ell . ▁She ▁was ▁then ▁ram med ▁in ▁turn ▁by ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁cot ton cl ads . ▁El let ▁was ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁wounded ▁by ▁a ▁p istol ▁shot ▁in ▁his ▁kne e , ▁thereby ▁becoming ▁the ▁only ▁cas ual ty ▁on ▁the ▁Union ▁side . ▁( In ▁the ▁hospital , ▁he ▁contract ed ▁meas les , ▁the ▁child hood ▁disease ▁that ▁killed ▁some ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁The ▁combination ▁of ▁the ▁disease ▁and ▁the ▁deb il itation ▁caused ▁by ▁his ▁w ound ▁was ▁too ▁great , ▁and ▁he ▁died ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 1 .) ▁The ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁is ▁obsc ured ▁by ▁more