strated by you—that is, the exposure of the rudder and steering gear. What guns have you condemned? The rifled cannon are becoming of doubtful endurance. The 80-pound rifles have been ignored, and 100pounders substituted where they can be used. Breese is by me, and desires regards. Mrs. Foote is sharing your glory by receiving the applause of your townsmen and a flag.* Congress is tearing the Navy to pieces by a multiplicity of bills. Three more bureaus are proposed, and the pay of all to be cut down alike. I have worked to the full stretch of my brains, and I get no credit for it. I like the idea of promotion for gallant acts, but I do not think the former war-services of officers should be overlooked.

"Our Army of the Potomac is stirring, but I know not the programme. I think we are doing up Secesh, and I hope the rebels will be tired of such an unprofitable and wicked war without justification.

"Yours very truly,

JOSEPH SMITH."

On the 21st of February, 1862, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed the following resolutions:

"The nation has been compelled, by every patriotic motive, to call upon her true sons to arrest rebellion and preserve the government. Military men must put down rebellious politicians, who have created the existing evils which threaten our destruction. Reason and entreaty having failed, the sword is now to settle our destiny. While we feel sentiments of the highest admiration for all the brave officers and soldiers engaged in the cause of the Union, wherever their field of operations may be, we entertain a peculiar gratitude to those who are driving our invaders from the soil of Kentucky; therefore,

Resolved, by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, that General Albin Schoff, General William Nelson, General George H. Thomas, Colonel J. A. Garfield, General U. S. Grant, and Commodore

*This has reference to a pleasant and enthusiastic gathering of the students of Yale College (February 22d) in front of Mrs. Foote's residence, and the presentation to her of a National flag, which was raised soon after on the commodore's house. The Hon. Pelatiah Perrit responded to the address of the students. At the same time a letter was ad dressed to the commodore, signed by many eminent citizens of New Haven, such as the venerable Jeremiah Day, Professor Benjamin Silliman, President Theodore D. Woolsey, and others, warmly congratulating him, as townsmen, on his successes, and urging him on to greater victories.

Reconnoissance of Columbus.

241

A. H. Foote, together with the brave officers and men in their respective commands, deserve the thanks of Kentucky, and the same are hereby most cordially tendered to every man of them for their brilliant victories achieved at Wild Cat, Ivy Mountain, Logan's Fields, Mill Spring, Prestonburg, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson. While we thus offer our heartfelt tribute to the officers and soldiers who have exposed their lives on the field of battle, we can not withhold the expression of our most grateful thanks to Generals Halleck and Buell, the commanders-in-chief of their respective departments, for their admirable arrangements, which have resulted in these glorious and effective victories.

66

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded by the clerk to each of the officers herein named, with a request that they have the same read to their respective commands.

"Which were adopted.

Attest:

W. L. SAMUELS,

"Clerk of House of Representatives."

The Western fleet was now, as a body, quickly recalled from its operations on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, and was assembled at Cairo for further services in another quarter. Foote's dispatch of February 21st to his navy commanders urged them to activity, and closed with these words:

"The gun-boats and mortar-boats must leave immediately for Cairo, to be prepared instantly for service. Hasten hasten! 'bear a hand' to follow me."

The National successes in Tennessee had served to isolate the enemy's stronghold at Columbus, called "the Gibraltar of the West," and in one sense rightly called, for before it was rendered strategically untenable, it was judged impregnable to direct assault. It was situated upon high bluffs, with every advantage that skillful engineering and heavy munitions could add, and had an army of twenty thousand troops in its walls. Of course it was not known but that this formidable fortification would stand siege. Early on the morning of the 23d of February, Commodore Foote, with four iron-clads, two mortar-boats, and five transports partially filled with troops, left Cairo and steamed down the Mississippi on an armed

reconnoissance of Columbus. As they drew in sight of the

batteries, a steamer bearing a flag of truce from General Polk came out to meet them. The account is given in the following report of the commodore:

"U. S. FLAG-STEAMER CINCINNATI,' MISSISSIPPI RIVER,

NEAR COLUMBUS, KY., February 23, 1862.

"SIR,-I have the honor to report that, in company with General Cullum, chief of General Halleck's staff, with four iron-clad boats, two mortar-boats, and three transports, containing one thousand men, I made this day a reconnoissance in force toward Columbus to ascertain its condition; and when near the batteries a flag of truce came out to communicate with us, the result of which will be seen in the inclosed papers. The object of the reconnoissance being attained, and finding that fire from the mortars would lead the enemy to plant guns where they could

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reach them with their batteries should we again open upon them with a larger number of mortars, I concluded to return to Cairo; and there we must remain until the gun and mortar boats are completed, as otherwise the flotilla will be demoralized for want of time and means to properly prepare for active service. The army will not move without gunboats, yet the gun-boats are not in a condition to act offensively at present. On this subject I will soon write more fully. A telegram will be sent to the Department on my arrival at Cairo, referring to the events of to-day. I am your obedient servant, A. H. FOOTE, Flag-Officer.

"The Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.

"P. S.-Columbus evinces no signs of an evacuation or dismounting of guns. The batteries seem to be intact, and we saw great numbers of tents and troops."

Before noticing a correspondence with General Polk on the subject of a "flag of truce," which forms a curious episode of itself, we introduce a part of the letter of a newspaper correspondent, dated February 24th, which gives a lively, chatty description of this sail down the Mississippi and its sudden termination:

"A little after daylight the gallant Commodore Foote hobbled painfully aboard the Cincinnati, and almost immediately after the whole fleet was steaming down the river. From the moment of starting, the regular line of battle was observed, the four iron-clad boats leading, abreast, the Cincinnati a mile to the rear, and close behind this the transports and mortars. The five transports seemed more for show than use. However, it was the Sabbath, and beneath the warm beams of the first sun we had seen for weeks, we pushed merrily ahead, absorbed in our devotions and the weather, and not caring to be captious, or to ask too many questions.

"A little before noon we steamed into Lucas's Bend, and saw, two miles below, across a promontory that ran out from the right bank, the tent-crowned bluffs of Columbus. A shot from a heavy gun came booming over the water, conveying to us an invitation seemingly to fight. Another followed, and then another-the latter a cogent invitation of some one hundred and twenty-eight pounds in weight, that plunged into the river a short distance to the left of us, and sent the water splashing skyward like a water-spout. A heavy gong sounding in the boats sent the men to quarters; guns were run in, every thing and every body was in

place, the mortar-boats were hugging the shore to gain uninterruptedly a position a little lower; and from all appearance I expected in another instant to witness a repetition of the Fort Henry and Donelson tragedies. However, just as the guns seemed on the eve of belching their sulphureous thunders against Columbus, a rebel transport steamer rounded the point of the promontory with a flag flying from her jackstaff. She rounded the point close under the guns of the iron boats, and commenced whistling, as if asking permission to hold a conference. A whistle from the flag-boat gave the permission; a tug ran down to her, lay alongside a short time, ran back, and then the Cincinnati ran down, took position between her and the Columbus batteries, and dropped her anchor. "A deputation was soon after seen to leave the rebel transport-the Red River and go aboard the National gun-boat. For three long hours the boats lay there, and many and wild were the conjectures as to what was going on. All agreed unanimously that a surrender was going on -none doubted that he would take dinner or supper in Columbus. Finally, a stir was observed in the gun-boat, and the tug put off, carrying back some officers to the transport. 'Now for Columbus,' said every body; and in imagination we had already penetrated the securities of that stronghold, and were rambling among its water batteries, its land batteries, rifle-pits, breastworks, redans, abatis, bastions, redoubts, palisades, lunettes, and the Lord only knows what else, when three flags glided up the staff on the flag-boat, and Master of the Carondelet, with the remark, 'That's to close up, probably,' opened his signal-book, and, with a look of incredulity, read, 'Fall in line.'

"But there seemed to be no mistake. The Cincinnati bore straight up the river for Cairo-black, grim, and uncommunicative; and shortly after we had all taken our places, and were slowly following our leader.

"Arriving at Cairo, a rush was made for the commodore. No use. Never was a drum tighter than the hero of Henry and Donelson, and the sorrowing crowd departed."

The flag of truce, to all appearance, was simply an expedient to obtain knowledge of the strength of the National forces. Whether it were so or not, its result was favorable to our cause, as it was at once followed by the evacuation of Columbus. The reader can form his own judgment of the case from the facts and the correspondence. General Polk sent by the transport this letter: