As Farragut brought his fleet up the river, a key engagement was that with Fort Jackson and Fort Saint Philip on 24 April 1862, during which "Mississippi" ran the Confederate ram "Manassas" ashore, wrecking her with two mighty broadsides. One of her sailors, Seaman Christopher Brennan, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in the battle. The city was now doomed, and "Mississippi", her heavy draft making her less suitable to river operations than lighter ships, remained off New Orleans for much of the next year.