 Included in his force were two of the Federal Army's rams, commanded by Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr. Montgomery, unwilling to retreat to Vicksburg because of his shortage of fuel and unwilling to destroy his boats, determined to fight against heavy odds.In the engagement that followed, one of "Colonel Lovell"s engines malfunctioned and she became unmanageable.She was then rammed amidships by , and immediately struck again by , both of the Ellett fleet.