Monday, February 6, 2012

February 6 - Tennessee Civil War Notes

6-10, Pursuit of Confederate steamers by U.S.N.

U.S.N. Lt. S. Ledyard Phelps, pursued Confederate steamers destroying
Confederate stores o­n the Tennessee River subsequent to the fall of
Fort Henry. U.S.S. Lexington, Tyler, and Conastoga.

Report of Lieutenant S.L. Phelps, to Flag-Officer A.H. Foote, U.S.N.,
relative to naval operations o­n the Tennessee River, February 6-10,
1862:

Soon after the surrender of Fort Henry, o­n the 6th, I proceeded...up
the Tennessee River with the Tyler, Lieutenant Commanding Gwin;
Lexington, Lieutenant Commanding Shirk, and this vessel (Conestoga),
forming a division of the flotilla, and arrived after dark at the
railroad crossing, 25 miles above the fort, having o­n the way
destroyed a small amount of camp equipage, abandoned by the fleeing
rebels. The draw of the bridge was found closed and the machinery for
turning it disabled. About 1 1/2 miles above, were several rebel
transport streamers escaping upstream. A party was landed in o­ne hour
I had the satisfaction to see the draw open. The Tyler being the
slowest of the gunboats, Lieutenant Commanding Gwin landed a force to
destroy a portion of the railroad track and to secure such military
stores as might be found, while I directed Lieutenant Commanding Shirk
to follow me with all speed in chase of the fleeing boats. In five
hours this boat succeeded in forcing three rebels to abandon and burn
three of their boats, loaded with military stores. The first o­ne
fired (Samuel Orr) had o­n board a quantity of submarine batteries,
which very soon exploded; the second o­ne was freighted with power,
cannon shot, grape, balls, etc. Fearing an explosion from the fired
boats (there were two together), I had stopped at a distance of 1,000
yards; but even there our skylights were broken by the concussion; the
light upper deck was raised bodily, doors were forced open, and locks
fastenings everywhere broken.

The whole river for half a mile around about was completely beaten up
by the falling fragments and the shower of shot, grape, balls, etc.
The house of a reported Union man was blown to pieces, and it is
suspected there was design in landing the boats in front of the doomed
home. The Lexington having fallen astern, and without a pilot o­n
board, I concluded to wait for both of the boats to come up. Joined by
them we proceeded up the river....Gwin had destroyed some of the
trestlework at the end of the bridge, burning with them a lot of camp
equipage. I.N. Brown, formerly a lieutenant in the Navy, now signing
himself "Lieutenant, C.S.N.," had fled with such precipitation as to
leave his papers behind. These Lieutenant Commanding Gwin brought away
and I send them to you, as they give an Official history of the rebel
floating preparations o­n the Mississippi, Cumberland, and Tennessee.
"Lieutenant" Brown had charge of the construction of gunboats. At
night o­n the 7th we arrived at a landing in Harding County, Tenn.,
known as Cerro Gordo, where we found the steamer Eastport being
converted to a gunboat. Armed boats' crews were immediately sent o­n
board and search made for means of destruction that might have been
devised. She had been scuttled and the suction pipes broken. These
leaks were soon stopped. A number of rifle shots were fired at our
vessels, but a couple of shells dispersed the rebels. o­n examination
I found that there were large quantities of timber and lumber prepared
for fitting up the Eastport; that the vessel itself, some 280 feet
long., was in excellent condition and already half finished;
considerable of the plating designed for her was lying o­n the bank
and everything at hand to complete here. I therefore directed
Lieutenant Commanding Gwin to remain with the Tyler to guard the
prize, and to load the lumber...while the Lexington and Conestoga
should proceed still higher up.

Soon after daylight o­n the 8th we passed Eastport, Miss, and at
Chickasaw, farther up, near the State line, seized two steamers, the
Sallie Wood and Muscle....We then proceeded...entering...Alabama and
ascending to...the foot of the Mussel Shoals.....Some shots were fired
from the opposite side of river below....

* * * *

We returned o­n the night of the 8th to where the Easport lay [Cerro
Gordo]. The crew of the Tyler had already gotten o­n board of the
prizes an immense amount of lumber....The crews of the three boats set
to work to finish the undertaking, and we have brought away probably
250,000 feet of the best quantity of ship and building lumber, all the
iron, machinery, spikes, plating, nails...belong to the rebel gunboat,
and I caused the mill to be destroyed where the lumber had been sawed.

Lieutenant Commanding Gwin in our absence had enlisted some 25
Tennesseans, who gave information of the encampment of Colonel Crews'
rebel regiment, at Savannah, Tenn. A portion of the 600 or 700 men
were know to be "pressed" men, and all were badly armed....I
determined to make a land attack upon the encampment. Lieutenant
Commanding Shirk, with 30 riflemen, came o­n board the Conestoga,
leaving his vessel to guard the Easport....Gwin took command of this
force when landed, but had the mortification to find the camp
deserted. The rebels had fled at 1 o'clock in the night....The
gunboats were then dropped down to a point where arms gathered under
the rebel "press law" had been stored, and an armed party under Second
Master Goudy, of the Tyler, succeeded in seizing about 70 rifles and
fowling pieces. Returning to Cerro Gordo, we took the Eastport, Sallie
Wood, and Muscle in tow, and came down the river to the railroad
crossing. The Muscle sprung a lead, and all efforts failed to prevent
her sinking, and we were forced to abandon her, and with her a
considerable quantity; of fine lumber. We are having trouble in
getting through the draw of the bridges here.

I now come to the, to me, the most interesting portion of this
report....We have met with the most gratifying proofs of loyalty
everywhere across Tennessee....Men, women, and children several times
gathered in crowds of hundreds, shouted their welcome and hailed their
national flag with enthusiasm there was no mistaking. It was genuine
and heartfelt. Those people braved everything to go to the river band,
where a sight of their flag might o­nce more be enjoyed, and they had
experienced, as they related, every possible form of persecution.
Tears flowed freely down the cheeks of men as well as of women, and
there were those who had fought under the stars and stripes at
Moultrie, who, in this matter testified to their joy. This display of
feeling and sense of gladness at our success...I would not have failed
to witness....In Tennessee the people generally in their enthusiasm
braved secessionists and spoke their views freely...We were told, too,
"Bring us a small organized force with arms and ammunition for us, and
we can maintain our position and put down rebellion in our midst."
There were, it is true, whole communities who, o­n our approach, fled
to the woods, but these were where there was less of the loyal element
and where the fleeing steamers in advance had spread tales of our
coming with firebrand, burning destroying, ravishing, and plundering.

S.L. Phelps, Lieutenant Commanding, U.S. Navy

Navy OR, Ser. I, Vol 22, pp. 571-574.

   6, "Small Pox"


We regret to say that this dreaded disease is still o­n the increase,
and that the main cause of its spreading, which we pointed out a month
ago, is still unattended to, except that an order has been published
requiring that cases be reported, which might as well never have been
issued, except so far as it relates to the military. A week or more
ago we called the attention of the authorities to the fact that houses
of ill-fame o­n College street and Criddle street contained cases of
small-pox, and that soldiers frequented these houses in large numbers,
day and night; and we told them also that hospital employes or inmates
of hospitals frequented these places. It is to be wondered at, then
that o­ne hundred and thirty-seven soldiers were attacked with this
disease during the past month, in this city alone. So far as the
contrabands are concerned, what has been done to prevent its spread
among them? Anything? If there has, we are not aware of it. And what
is the consequence? A rapid increase, from 76 in November to 219 in
January, besides large numbers are not in [the] hospital.

That the public may judge for themselves concerning the spread of this
disease during the past three months, we give below the official
report of the Surgeon in charge as to the number of patients admitted
in Hospital No. 11, during that time:

Admitted     Nov.                       Dec.            Jan

Citizens.........     23......................66..............87

Soldiers.........     47......................86............137

Contrabands......76....................173............219

Total...............146....................325............443

This report presents an alarming appearance, and ought to attract the
attention of all in authority. In the early part of December [1863],
Mr. Spencer Chandler presented a report to the City Council, making
some sensible suggestions, and urging immediate action. The report was
referred to the Pest House Committee, but nothing whatever has been
done. Almost every street in the city in infected, almost every negro
den has its patient, and yet we hear of no measures for its
amelioration -- no active, vigorous measures, such as should be put
forth for the prevention of its further spreading.

The following is the Pest House report for the month of January:

No. in hospital as per last report               349

Since admitted -- citizens...........................87

" "


soldiers...................................................137
" "


contrabands...........................................219
.......................... -- 44

Total number treated..............................792

Discharged............................................107

...


Died......................................................114

......


Escaped................................................223 .

Remaining in hospital.............................559


The following buildings are now used as small-pox hospitals and
surgeons' quarters: Dr. Watson's house, Langdon's, Beech's, Ed.
Smith's, two houses belonging to Whiteman, the old Pest House o­n the
river, and the Bostick house o­n the Charlotte Pike, as headquarters.
J. B. McFerrin's house, in Edgefield, is also used as a pest-house.

Nashville Dispatch, February 6, 1864.

No comments: