CHAPTER XV.

ACTION AT EDDYVILLE.-DOCUMENTS RESPECTING THE FLOTILLA.

-DEFECTIVE GUNS.-BATTLE OF BELMONT.

CORRESPONDENCE.

THAT the gun-boats, or those that were prepared for action, were not suffered to remain idle, the following letter will testify; and this is one of many written during the closing months of the year 1861, giving accounts of similar expeditions by different officers in command of vessels of the Western Navy. Many of the details may seem unimportant, but they afford a true view of the character of the service in which these vessels were engaged:

"U. S. GUN-BOAT CONESTOGA,' PADUCAH, Ky.,
October 28, 1861.

"CAPTAIN A. H. FOOTE, U. S. Navy, commanding Naval Forces, Western Rivers:

"SIR, On the afternoon of the 26th instant, by order of General Smith, I left this place in company with the steamer Lake Erie, No. 2, on board of which were three companies of the Ninth Illinois Regiment, under command of Major Phillips, and proceeded up the Cumberland River upon an expedition to surprise a rebel camp near Eddyville, Kentucky, and have the honor to make known to you that the result was in the main successful.

"I went, with Major Phillips on board, in advance to Smithfield, to procure guides and pilots, expecting that the transport would not approach the wharf-boat; but the captain ran her to it, which rendered a change of plan necessary, and caused the force to reach the rebel camp at a later hour than was designed. The distance from Smithland to Eddyville by land is not half that by water; and the rebels have a complete system of runners established in that section of the country. The transport was, therefore, sent up the Ohio a few miles, and the Conestoga followed, an hour later, with two heavy barges in tow. These were cast

off on reaching the transport, which was then taken in tow, with all lights out, fires screened, and engines stopped, by which precautions we succeeded in dropping down to Smithland and passing into the Cumberland, without its being suspected, in the darkness of the night, that we had the steamer in tow. The two boats, after passing to a safe distance, made all speed up the narrow and crooked stream, but did not reach and disembark the troops at the point selected, two miles below Eddyville, till half-past three o'clock A.M. I then had the transport moved to near the town and concealed behind a wooded point, while this boat was quietly anchored off the main street, as had been done several times before in the past few weeks.

"As soon as I felt satisfied that Major Phillips had had time to reach the rebel camp-a march of seven miles over an exceedingly rough country, and in lanes and foot-paths-and that information of the force was reaching the citizens, I threw a force on shore and surrounded the town with picket-guards, to prevent the escape of rebel citizens, or the entrance and concealment of refugees from the rebel camp.

“About 10 A.M., Major Phillips reached town with a number of prisoners, horses, wagons, arms, etc. He had got to within four hundred yards of the enemy after daylight before being discovered, when the rebels formed in line. Our troops were moved at a double-quick to within one hundred yards, when they delivered their fire and charged bayonets upon the rebels, who broke and fled in every direction, leaving seven killed on the field. Two of our soldiers were severely wounded, and one or two slightly-among these a captain of a company.

"I seized a flat-boat belonging to a noted Secessionist, and it was freighted with the prisoners and plunder and towed to this place. The horses and mules were first placed on the wharf-boat at the town, also Secession property; but the boat was found to be too leaky and rotten for towing, and the animals were embarked on the transport, and one hundred of the troops were transferred to the Conestoga. There were taken in the rebel camp and brought to this place, where we returned last evening, twenty-four prisoners, seven negroes, thirty-four horses, eleven mules, two transport wagons, a large number of saddles, muskets, rifles, shot-guns, sabres, knives, etc. A number of valuable horses were unavoidably killed in the skirmish at the camp.

"Eddyville is sixty-two miles from Paducah, and the camp was four miles back of the town, at a place known as Saratoga Springs. We were absent from Paducah twenty-nine hours.

66

Cost of the Gun-boats.

179

Major Phillips and the volunteers deserve the greatest credit for their successful daylight surprise. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, "S. L. PHELPS, Lieutenant Commanding U. S. Navy."

While services like the above were being rendered by the boats, before we relate their further operations it would be well to present some additional documents having special relation to the business matters of the fleet. Great difficulty continued to be experienced in raising men to man the fleet, and, at last, strenuous requisitions had to be made upon the West, upon barge-men, river-men, lake-men, and landsmen of all sorts (and some of the worst), to fill up the vacancies; the clothing and supplies of the crews were still greatly deficient, and the pay of officers and men was woefully in arrears; some of the boats were as yet unfit for service; good subordinate officers, foremen, firemen, engineers, and pilots were scarce; and, from the parting of a hawser to the buying of a steamboat, every thing had to go through the head and hands. of the commanding officer. That all was done with the greatest economy might be proved from the competent testimony of Paymaster Captain George D. Wise (May 25, 1862): "Notwithstanding all this, our gun-boat flotilla has not cost, including the building of the gun-boats, $3,000,000 to this date. When we look at the results it has accomplished, the money has been well laid out; and if we balance it by the destruction and capture of the enemy's property, we shall be largely in pocket."

"NAVY DEPARTMENT, October 28, 1861. "MY DEAR SIR,-We have been drilling some three hundred men here for you, and will send them when you so write or telegraph. We have also given orders to ship landsmen in New England for you. They are good men—mostly fishermen-but without drill. If you wish any of your officers ordered away, or can spare any of them, write me word. G. V. Fox, Assistant-Secretary.

"Respectfully,

"Captain A. H. Foote, U. S. N."

"WASHINGTON, D. C., November 17, 1861. “MY DEAR FLAG-Officer,—We have sent you off five hundred men, but I am inclined to think it is all we can do. Every means is being used to recruit, but the large number of vessels put afloat absorbs them. Be sure that you shall have the first fifty men to spare from this coast; but it looks now as if it would be impossible to do more. If you wish or can spare any officer, drop me a private note, for we are ashore for commanders. We shall not disturb you unless you agree, but rather go to the merchant service. I made several calls upon the War Department about the money, and they tell me it was remitted. What a magnificent piece of seamanship Dupont has given us-it wipes out the disgraceful transaction on board the Richard in the Mississippi. Wise showed me your note about the gun-boats. I suppose if they barely float they may do, unless they draw too much water. It will be a blow upon the Navy if they fail. Can't camels be made of rubber to lift them over?

"SIR,-I have the honor herewith to inclose duplicate requisitions for $1250. I am induced to make this requisition, in addition to the $5000 already received, in order to pay my crew the two thirds of their wages faithfully promised them at the time of their enlistment. Most of my men are married, and have families to provide for, and are in great need of their wages. I was forced, by the necessity of the case, to reduce the payment twenty-five per cent., in order to make the $5000 hold out, and give each an equal proportion; their clothing and small stores account was also deducted from the two thirds, and this left but a small amount to each. Some of my men have been shipped now nearly five months, and have received but one small payment previous to this. I should be much pleased if you can consistently approve this requisition, and much oblige, Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"R. N. STEMBEL, Commander U. S. N.

"To Commodore A. H. Foote."

It is pleasing to learn from other sources how willingly and faithfully these ill-provided and ill-paid men continued to work, with rare instances of desertion. The men sent at various times from the East also came, with very few losses,

The Mortar-boats.

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promptly to their posts, and served with that heartiness which characterized all departments of our patriotic forces in the great struggle.

“WASHINGTON, November 1, 1861.

“COMMODORE A. H. FOOTE, U. S. N., commanding Gun-boats, St. Louis: "I am instructed to say that General Halleck has instructions in regard to the gun-boats.

"The appropriation not being sufficient to complete and equip more than three altered and seven built gun-boats, the Department is embarrassed by the action of the commanding general West in ordering so many mortar-rafts, tugs, and altered boats, in addition to those contracted for by this Department. All can not be completed without further appropriations, and, for the present, at least, this Department can not remit money except for those contracted for under its authority. M. C. MEIGS, Quartermaster-General."

"Respectfully,

The complete outfit of the mortar-boat department, requiring a great many implements and needing a long time to manufacture them, gave rise to a long correspondence both with officials at Washington and ordnance officers and manufacturers at Pittsburg. It will not be necessary to give this correspondence; but the following is a private letter of Captain Foote's, which sets forth some of the facts of the case from his point of view:

"CAIRO, January 11, 1862.

"MY DEAR SIR,-I send the report herewith which your telegram of the 10th, but not received till this morning, required for the President. I have endeavored to keep the Department fully informed of our progress, with all incidental circumstances. I have worked incessantly since I have joined or assumed command here. The contractor, in not being up to time, and for want of men, has kept the gun-boats from being commissioned. I have had all things in my power, and over which I had control, in readiness long since. With reference to the mortar-boats, I only wish that you could see them. Their magazines are merely square holes in the timbers, banded together, forming the boat, and of course most of them leak. The mortar-boats would require, if all fitted out, about eight hundred men. There are no conveniences for living aboard.