he reported the incident to wells with what he confessed was deep mortiification. he was democrtermined to destroe fleet no matter what it took. he hoped to blow the arkansas out of the water but couldn't spot her in the gathering darkness. he intended, he said, to try to destroy her until my squadron is destroyed or she is. there's no rest for the wicked until she is destroyed. fairgat percesuaded to send und the vicksburg guns to ram the arkansas while the fleet would bombard the vicksburg batteries to keep down their fire. this union attacked occurred on july 22nd. the two northern vessels hit the arkansas glancing blows which appeared to not do significant damage. they cracked the engine's connecting rods deranging the arkansas's weak and unreliable engin engines. two weeks later the connecting rods broke and the arkansas's crew blew her up to prevent her capture by union gun boats. the arkansas had been able to get that far downriver because the navy department sent the welcome orders to take his fleet down to new orleans and then with part of it out into the