David,

Thanks for that. It matches my theory about the source of the engine trouble rather closely.

One thing I've been wondering about for a few days is that "bolt." I have suspected that it was an 11" solid roundshot rather than a bolt, and your quotation above confirms that. The only thing that is still puzzling is that it is an 11" attributed to the Hartford. From what I can gather the Hartford was one of the few large vessels in Farragut's force without any 11" Dahlgrens at the time. Therefore, it appears that another vessel fired what was to become the fatal shot.

While the 11" guns were not really up to the task of fighting the best CSN ironclads, they did prove deadly to them on several occasions. One that folks probably don't appreciate is the drubbing that the USS Chickasaw gave the CSS Tennessee in Mobile Bay. It posted itself at the Tennessee's stern and with its 11" battery destroyed gunport shutters as well as the rudder chains, eliminating the ability of the Tennessee to carry on the fight.