Expedition to Owensboro.

173

Ohio River open, and to dislodge the rebels supposed to have been in possession of that place, I proceeded to Paducah on the morning of the 23d in the steamer Bee, before the gun-boat Lexington, Commander Stembel, was ready to leave Cairo, for the purpose of calling on General Smith, and of having the gun-boat Conestoga, Lieutenant Phelps commanding, ready on the arrival of the Lexington to accompany me up the river.

"On reaching Paducah, I ascertained from General Smith that the Conestoga had gone on a short cruise; consequently, on the arrival of the Lexington, I immediately proceeded with her alone up the river, taking with us the steamer Bee, as the water was low and the river falling, that we might have the means, if necessary, of getting afloat more readily. I also sent the Bee up the Cumberland River fifteen miles in a vain search for the Conestoga. After grounding twice, at one o'clock on the morning of the 24th we were compelled to anchor and lie over till 8 A.M., when, in company with the Bee, and she towing us, we proceeded up the river to Evansville, from whence I telegraphed you at 11 P.M.

"This morning we reached Owensboro; found no batteries, but were boarded by Colonel McHenry, who, with Colonel Hawkins, had a skeleton Kentucky regiment, which had arrived the previous morning. I sent for the authorities of the place, and directed them to prevent the display of secession flags. A strong disunion sentiment is manifest in the place, but no disrespect was shown me, although I have been much among the people; but I directed Commander Stembel to hold as little communication with the shore as practicable. The colonels, with their force, as previously designed, left the town during the day, although I strongly importuned them to remain, as I did the Cincinnati company; but they declined on the ground of not being properly equipped, nor having been mustered into the service. Under these circumstances, and the water requiring the Lexington soon to leave, I ran down to Evansville on the Bee, and telegraphed to General Morton at Vincennes, Indiana, asking for five hundred men for Owensboro. If I get no answer, I purpose telegraphing General Anderson at Louisville for the same number. On returning to Owensboro in the evening, I again communicated with the shore; after which, and giving my orders to Commander Stembel to remain till the low water required him to leave in order to reach Cairo safely, I ran down to Evansville, meeting and boarding the Conestoga on the way, and giving her instructions; and here have telegraphed to General Anderson for five hundred men to be sent to Owensboro. Having done all in my power in this quarter, and the preparations of the gun

boats in St. Louis demanding my immediate attention, I leave for that place at 10 A.M. to-morrow, and trust that I may personally communicate with you in the evening. In haste.

"I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. H. FOOTE. "Major-General Fremont, Commanding Western Army,)

St. Louis, Mo."

The Conestoga proceeded to Owensboro, and remained there as long as it was safe to do so, even going farther up to Hawsville and Cannelton, quelling by her presence some symptoms of disturbance, but leaving suddenly on account of the alarmingly low state of the river, and having great difficulty in getting over the bars, there being three inches too little of water. The commander of this vessel, Lieutenant Phelps, was, as has been remarked, one of the most energetic of Foote's officers. He ably seconded his chief's incessant labors to bring the gunboats to a higher state of efficiency. He writes (October 5):

"I would ask your attention to the armament of this vessel. Had there been a rifled cannon, or even a heavy 32-pounder on board on the evening of the 1st, we could, in all probability, have destroyed the rebel gun-boat Jeff Davis, near the batteries above Columbus, under which she found protection. The rifled 32 or 42 pounder, one on either end, would render this vessel infinitely more efficient. General Grant offered to exchange a heavy 32-pounder for one light one carried aft, but the carriage we have will not answer. I would quite as soon have the 32-pounder at present on board as the 64-pounder shell-guns on the other boats. With solid shot our range is better. I feel confident that this change of armament-especially for one heavy rifled piece-is of importance enough to justify my urging it upon your attention."

In another letter (October 18), Lieutenant Phelps gives an interesting account of a reconnoissance up the Tennessee River, even as far as Fort Henry. He says:

"On the following day (12th) we ascended the Tennessee River to near Fort Henry, where we lay over night. The next morning I examined the fort carefully at a distance of two to two and a half miles, the rebels not opening fire upon us.

Reconnoissance up the Tennessee.

175

"One mile below a small body of men had fired at the vessel with small-arms; but a shot put an end to further demonstrations of the kind. The fortification is quite an extensive work, and armed with heavy guns, mounted' en barbette,' and garrisoned by a considerable force. It is situated about half a mile above the head of Panther Creek Island, and where the Tennessee state-line leaves the right bank and crosses the river. There is no channel upon one side of the island (western), and a narrow and somewhat crooked one upon the other, which continues so till within a mile of the fort, where the water becomes a good depth from bank to bank-some six hundred yards. It is credibly reported that the rebels, at a point about five miles above the fort, are converting three steamers into gun-boats, and are plating them with iron. There are extensive iron works on the river. They have one of the finest and fastest steamers in the West-the Eastport. If desirable, it will be an easy matter to render their boats almost useless by obstructing the channel in a narrow spot a few miles above Paducah. On the 14th instant I entered the Cumberland, and ascended it sixty miles, where the water became shoal, and then dropped down to anchor over night at Eddyville-a strong secession town, and a neighborhood where Union men have been driven from their homes. It was reported that the rebels were building a battery below the town. found it necessary to use strong language to the citizens in regard to the persecution of Union people. The more active Secessionists fled at the approach of the gun-boat.

“I yesterday again ascended the Tennessee to Aurora, where the stateroad from Columbus east, passing through Hopkinsville, etc., crosses the river, and seized the steam ferry-boat Henry, bringing it to this port (Paducah). It is evident that each time this boat is shown along these waters there is an increased confidence and sense of security on the part of the Unionists."

The new flotilla was thus feeling its way to more important results, exciting alarm among the ranks of secession people along the banks of the great rivers, and giving new strength to the enfeebled national cause, while at the same time it was gradually finding out its own deficiencies and its own power. It was not as yet clearly defined where the Western flotilla belonged-to the Army or to the Navy-and this continued to be a cause of great embarrassment; but Captain

Foote, by constant and strenuous requisitions, as far as his authority went, on the credit of the government, for men, money, and supplies, finally succeeded in equipping his fleet.. If, instead of continual appeals to Washington, and now and then unfortunate interferences on the part of civil and army authorities, the whole thing had been left in his hands, and the power and the money intrusted to him unconditionally, there would have been more rapid progress; but, under the circumstances, that could not well be done; and, as it was, patience and will wore through all difficulties, and the time was now near at hand when all these anxious and wearing toils were to be rewarded with important and even splendid

success.

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:

"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