At 7:00 a.m., approximately from Franklin, "Commodore Perry" came under fire from the Confederate forces along the river and atop the bluffs. As "Perry" was too close to bring its large-bore guns to bear, Commander Flusser ordered his sailors to shelter themselves as best they could while the ship tried to steam past the enemy. Due to the narrowness of the bend, "Commodore Perry" ran aground; Lt. Ruffin and his men were so close to the grounded riverboat, they later claimed to have heard "Perry" officers cursing the enlisted sailors. Freed, "Perry" rounded the bend and maneuvered to provide suppressive fire to allow "Hunchback" and "Whitehead" to follow; the combined shelling of all three ships forced Lt. Ruffin and his detachment to withdraw from the banks of the river. However, all three ships' progress was soon halted by a barricade in the river. While the barricade was removable with Commander Flusser's available manpower, he could not attempt to do so due to the "terrible fire to which were exposed." While continuing to assault the Confederacy with their "IX-inch grape and shell" guns, "32-pounder" guns, field gun, and muskets, the three ships waited at the barricade hoping to hear the gunfire of General Dix's infantry forces.