USA > Indiana > The soldier of Indiana in the war for the union, Vol. I > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
281
MILL SPRING.
stubborn Germans, under one of the devoted McCook's, ad- vanced upon them with drawn bayonets. The Confederates stood a moment, and saw the line of glistening steel, heard the heavy, rapid tread, then they gave way, the advance fall- ing back in confusion behind the reserve, which, in its turn, gave way and followed in retreat.
As soon as the troops could refill their cartridge-boxes General Thomas pursued the Confederates, reaching their entrenchments about an hour before dark. He opened on them with cannon. They replied feebly. Night closed in, and the firing ceased, but preparations were made to storm the entrenchments the following morning. Supperless and dinnerless the troops slept on their arms. They started up at daylight, and eagerly moved forward to the breastworks. All was quiet within. Cannon were fired without calling forth a response. Skirmishers approached cautiously and examined the fortifications. They were abandoned. The Confederates had fled, leaving wagons, artillery, ammunition, provisions, personal property and equipage of every kind. They had crossed the river in an undisguised panic, and had met with some disasters; but they were now safe from immediate pursuit.
Their flight disheartened the secessionists of Middle Ten- nessee, many of whom left the State, carrying with them all their movable property, especially that most uncertain kind of property which was provided with means of locomotion, and with reason and will.
The Rebel flight also opened a path into East Tennessee, but it was impossible to take advantage of it so early in the season without more subsistence than General Thomas had been able to obtain, and that beautiful mountain region, "af- flicted, tossed with tempest and not comforted," was again disappointed of the deliverance that was again just at her doors. Rebel rule became more rigorous than ever, and in a short time Jefferson Davis proclaimed martial law throughout the Department of East Tennessee. The following extracts from the Rules and Articles of War were published for the information and guidance of the people:
"Any officer or private who shall use contemptuous or dis-
282
THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
respectful words against the President of the Confederate States, against the Vice President thereof, against the Con- gress of the Confederate States, or against the Chief Magis- trate or Legislature of any of the Confederate States in which he may be quartered, if a commissioned officer, shall be cashiered, or otherwise punished as a court martial may decide ; if a non-commissioned officer or soldier he shall suffer such punishment as shall be inflicted by the sentence of a court-martial.
"Whosoever shall relieve the enemy with money, victuals or ammunition, or shall knowingly harbor or protect an enemy, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be in- flicted upon him by the sentence of a court-martial.
"Whosoever shall be convicted of holding correspondence with, or giving intelligence to, the enemy, either directly or indirectly, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a court-martial."
The day after taking possession of the Rebel entrench- ments opposite Mill Spring, General Thomas returned to his encampment at Logan's Cross Roads. It is said that when the Minnesota men went back to their quarters they marched with banners flying, and their splendid band playing " Hail Columbia," past a tent in front of which stood two prisoners, Dr. Cliff, Zollicoffer's brigade surgeon, and Lieutenant-Colo- nel Carter, of the Twentieth Tennessee. They were both affected to tears, and Carter remarked that " he loved the old flag still."
The enemy's loss in killed and wounded in the battle of Logan's Cross Roads, or of Mill Spring, as it is generally. called, and in the retreat, was very severe. The Union loss was much less. Our dead were buried in separate graves, and for head-stones young cedars were planted, living and ever-green monuments.
The intelligence of General Zollicoffer's death was received by the country people with a pleasure that was painful to witness. He was a man of gentle and even noble qualities, yet he was regarded by the region in which he had so long been entrenched with an abhorrence that was personal in its. character. His camp, a real stronghold on the point of six
283
THE NAVAL FORCE.
hills, which were abrupt in their rear, with the river at their base, was called " Zollicoffer's den," as if it were the dwelling of a wild beast, and the appellations which were bestowed on him were of the same character.
General Thomas remained at Logan's only long enough to allow the troops a little rest, then moved to Somerset, where he made preparations to enter East Tennessee.
Meantime the plan for active operations in the West was changed so as to require a concentration of all the forces in Kentucky, and a consequent abandonment, for the present, of an advance beyond the Cumberland mountains. General Fremont's plan for the western campaign had been for a mil- itary and naval expedition to proceed from St. Louis and Cairo down the Mississippi, as soon as he should have cleared Missouri of Rebels, and for this purpose he commenced the construction of gunboats. It was found now that the gun- boats were of sufficiently light draft to navigate the Tennes- see and Cumberland rivers, and it was determined to reach the rear of Bowling Green by proceeding up the Cumberland against Nashville. A successful movement might result in the capture of the Confederate forces, and certainly would compel the evacuation of Kentucky.
"The naval force," as described in an article on army oper- ations in the American Cyclopedia, "consisted of twelve gunboats, carrying an armament in all of one hundred and twenty-six guns. None of the guns were less than thirty-two pounders, some were forty-two pounders, and also nine and ten inch naval columbiads. In addition, each boat carried a rifled Dahlgren twelve-pounder boat howitzer on the upper deck. Several of the larger guns on each boat were rifled.
"The boats were built very wide in proportion to their length, giving them almost the same steadiness in action that a stationary land battery would possess. They were con- structed so that in action they could be kept 'bow on,' and the bow battery for this reason was of very great strength. Broadsides were so arranged as to be delivered with terrible effect while shifting position. To facilitate movements in action, the engines and machinery were of the most powerful
284
THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
kind. The boilers were five in number, constructed to work in connection with or independent of each other.
"Seven of these boats only were iron-clad. The number of mortar boats ordered was thirty-eight. Each one which was built carried a mortar of thirteen inch calibre. The charge of powder for the mortar was about twenty-three pounds. Each boat was manned by a Captain, Lieutenant and twelve men. The fleet was commanded by Commodore A. H. Foote, a brave and righteous man."
Meantime important reconnoissances were made in west- ern Kentucky, extending even to the Tennessee line, for the purpose of ascertaining the length and condition of roads, the number and strength of bridges, the depth of unbridged streams, and the sentiments of the inhabitants.
One of the most important of these expeditions was made by General Smith with nearly all the force at Paducah, di- vided in two unequal parts. The smaller division left Padu- cah, January 6th, on the steamer V. F. Wilson, accompanied by the gunboats Lexington and Conestoga. The main force started on Wednesday, the 15th, over frozen ground and through a falling snow. Traveling along the Mayfield road, which had so often been pursued in search of Clay King's foraging parties, the troops marched twelve miles the first day. Thursday they marched fifteen miles, still in high spirits, the general expectation being that the enemy was to be encoun- tered at Camp Beauregard, a few miles from Mayfield. Friday the ground thawed, the march was toilsome, and few reached their camping ground before eleven at night. Saturday rain was falling when the soldiers prepared to resume their march, and the wagons of the train were so fastened in the mud that no movement beyond prying them out and starting them for- ward could be made until three in the afternoon. Clark river, which it was necessary to cross, was so swollen that the whole bottom on both sides was covered. The entire force could not get over, and the Eleventh Indiana, which brought up the rear, after working all day, encamped on a beautiful eminence, a half mile in advance of the previous night's encampment. Sunday was lovely. The stormy clouds faded away, and the troops, who had been depressed by the toil and exposure of
285
PRESIDENT'S WAR ORDER.
Saturday, were again in good spirits. The progress of the force was, however, but two and a half miles. Monday they reached Murray, in Calloway county, and met the party which had come up the river, it having marched sixteen miles.
The whole division took up its march from Murray on Tuesday, and reached Calloway Ferry, twenty miles below Fort Henry, and seventy miles above Paducah. The steamer was waiting at the landing with seven days' provisions, and to carry the sick or worn out back to Paducah. As nearly all the provisions in the wagon train were lost in crossing Clark river, this new supply was needed.
About two hundred sick and exhausted were taken on board and comfortably provided for, while the rest marched back to Paducah, having accomplished a circuit of one hun- dred and twenty-five miles.
While the steamer waited at Calloway Landing, the gun- boats went up the river to Fort Henry and fired into it, but excited no response.
Commodore Foote sent the Lexington again up the Ten- nessee, and satisfied himself that the fort could easily be taken.
On the 27th of January President Lincoln appeared as commander-in-chief of the army and navy, aud issued the following order:
PRESIDENT'S GENERAL WAR ORDER, NO. 1.
Ordered, That the 22d day of February, 1862, be the day for a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces.
That especially
The army at and around Fortress Monroe;
The Army of the Potomac;
The Army of Western Virginia;
The army near Munfordsville, Kentucky;
The army and flotilla near Cairo;
And a naval force in the Gulf of Mexico,
be ready for a movement on that day.
That all other forces, both land and naval, with their re-
286
THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
spective commanders, obey existing orders for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders when duly given.
That the Heads of Departments, and especially the Secre- taries of War and of the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the General-in-Chief, with all other commanders and sub- ordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for the prompt execution of this order. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The order was unproductive of military effect in the East, but hastened the movements of the forces in the West.
As the possession of Fort Henry would open a passage to the rear of Columbus on the Mississippi, and of Donelson on the Cumberland, and thus would aid essentially in an attack upon both places, it was determined to make the first advance up the Tennessee.
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson are almost on the boundary line between the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, and are not more than twelve miles apart. The former is on the east bank of the Tennessee, the latter on the west side of the Cumberland. A good road was cut through the woods between them, so that troops and supplies could readily be removed from one to the other. At high water both rivers are navigable for the largest steamboats far above these points, the Tennessee to Florence, in northern Alabama, and the Cumberland to Nashville. Troops could, therefore, be trans- ported by water to the center of the Confederacy when once the possession of the streams should be secured.
Fort Henry stands on the lowlands adjacent to the river, on a level with the high water mark, and commands a straight stretch of the river about two miles in length. A small creek is on each side of the position. A mile below is Panther Island, a long, narrow sand bank, covered with a thicket of willows. The fort, as it stood before the attack, consisted of an irregular pile of earth, with embrasures, which looked like blocks of stone, but which were in reality meal bags stuffed with sand. It was armed with seventeen guns, the most of which were pivoted, and could be turned on the river or on an enemy approaching from the interior. Rifle-pits and
287
FORT HENRY.
breastworks encircled Fort Henry, and enclosed an area of twenty or thirty acres. An extensive abatis rendered approach still more formidable. The garrison included from four to five thousand soldiers.
On the west bank of the river, on higher ground, another fort, called Heiman, was in process of construction. Two or three Alabama regiments were within the unfinished breast- works, but cannon were not yet mounted.
On Monday afternoon, February 2d, the gunboats Cincin- nati, Essex, St. Louis, Carondelet, Lexington and Tyler steamed away from Cairo up the Ohio to Paducah, where they were joined by the Conestoga and a fleet of transports with a land force under General Guant. They entered the Tennessee at dark, and anchored a. few miles below Fort Henry about daylight.
Commodore Foote immediately explored the bed of the river in search of torpedoes, finding six, and made a reconnois- sance to find a suitable place for landing and for a general rendezvous of the troops. A spot just below the range of the guns of the fort was selected, the troops were landed during the afternoon, and three vessels were sent forward to recon- noiter. At the distance of two miles and a half, a twenty- four pounder rifle ball entered the Essex, penetrated the state- room of Captain Porter, passed under his table, and cut off the feet of a pair of stockings, which hung against the wall, as neatly as scissors could have cut them.
"Pretty good shot," said Porter. "Now we will show them ours." And he dropped a nine-inch shell right into the fort.
The remainder of General Grant's force, including the Eleventh and Twenty-Third Indiana, left Paducah a little after noon on Wednesday, and, with the sun shining, bands play- ing and people along the shore waving good wishes, pro- ceeded up the river. The Union people in the country had by this time heard of the movement, and stood here and there in groups indicating by voice or hand their welcome. At one place three men stood motionless and sullen. "Off with your hats, and huzza for the Union!" shouted a voice from the Elev- enth. The hats did not move. "They're secesh; hand me my gun!" cried the same voice. Immediately the three hats were
288
THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
waving, and the three voices sulkily cheering. Long shouts of laughter responded to the sudden conversion to loyalty. Merrily the boats went up the river, everybody as light hearted as if on a pleasure excursion, and landed after dark, where thousands and thousands of camp-fires illuminated the tented shores.
By Thursday morning a large force was on both sides of the river, the force on the west, under General Smith, to at- tack the Confederates at Fort Heiman, the division on the east to advance to the rear of Fort Henry, and prevent the escape of the garrison. General McClernand, under General Grant, had charge of the latter. In the division of the former was the brigade of General Wallace.
General Grant and Commodore Foote agreed to make a simultaneous attack on Fort Henry at twelve o'clock. As near the same time as possible, General Smith was to attack Fort Heiman.
About eleven o'clock the three divisions began to move, General Smith up the left bank of the stream, the Eleventh Indiana in advance, General McClernand on the right bank, and Commodore Foote up theriver. The roads were wretched, and two or three little streams, which were in the way, were swollen by a heavy rain of the previous night, in consequence the progress of the land forces was slow. Commodore Foote directed the four iron-clads, Essex, Carondelet, Cincinnati and St. Louis, to keep in line, the wooden boats, Conestoga, Lex- ington and Tyler, to follow the iron-clads, and throw shell over them. To the commanders he said, "Do just as I do." To the crews, "Fire slowly and deliberately; keep cool; make every shot tell." Commodore Foote had on his vessel a corner which he called the sacred place, where any one of the crew who loved to read his Bible and pray might do so undisturbed. This little institution had an influence upon the whole fleet, but much greater was the unconscious influence of a com- mander who worked as if he must do everything, and trusted as if he could do nothing.
With decks cleared for action, guns run out, shot and shell piled at their side, men confident of success, and the Com- modore determined to take the fort or go to the bottom, the
289
FORT HENRY.
boats steamed slowly up the river, taking the current on the west side of the island. The Essex was commanded by W. D. Porter, the son of Commodore Porter who commanded the Essex in the last war with Great Britain, and she was partly manned by men from company B, under Lieutenant Trotter, of the Twenty-Third Indiana. Preserving the line which had been formed at the first movement, the Carondelet came next, then the flag-ship, the Cincinnati, with Commo- dore Foote on board, and then the St. Louis, with the wooden gunboats in reserve.
The fleet reached the head of the island at half-past twelve. The fort was in full view, with the rebel cabins and tents and fluttering flag within the entrenchments. All eyes were upon the flag-ship. Suddenly a flash and a cloud of smoke were seen at her bow, and the boom of cannon was heard. In fif- teen seconds a puff of smoke and a cloud of sand were seen within the fort, and the explosion of the shell from the Cin- cinnati was heard.
The other boats did just as the flag-ship did. Each threw a shell within the fort. Instantly shell and shot rained from the fort on the river. Round after round of artillery from fort and fleet shook the placid air, and awoke unaccustomed echoes. The troops, struggling through mud and woods two miles away, tried to quicken their march, but the roads were too bad for any other than the slowest movement, and no attack was made on the rear of the fort; the way to Fort Donelson was not even obstructed. The slow, steady fire of the gunboats, however, was enough. Every shot told, knocking sand bags about, tossing up the logs of the cabins, and confounding the men. All but a small band of Rebels fled, some along the road leading to Fort Donelson, some to a small steamer which lay in the creek above the fort.
The fight went on, for the little band was brave. It was skilful, too. Nearly every shot struck the boats, but, though the iron plating rang with sharp blows, though bolts broke and the vessels trembled under repeated shocks, they moved on, none crippled or delayed, until a shot struck the Essex between the iron plates and tore through her thick timbers into one of her steam boilers. Wrapped in a white cloud the
290
THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
stricken boat floated helpless down the stream, twenty-nine of her officers and men scalded and dying. David Wilson, the gun-captain, was mortally injured, but he kept on working his gun. Lieutenant Trotter and nearly all of the 'I'wenty- Third who were on board, were scalded.
The Rebels were encouraged by the disappearance of the Essex, but the Commodore was not discouraged, and he con- tinued his steady firing until the Rebel flag came down and a white flag went up.
The repeated and prolonged shouts which greeted the flag of surrender from the crowded steamers, roused the dulled senses of a poor, scalded man on the Essex. "What is it?" he asked. "The fort is ours." Springing from his bunk, he ran up the hatchway, and cheered until he fell senseless on the deck. He died the same night.
The first person met by the officers, who went ashore to bring General Tilghman to the flag-ship for an interview with the Commodore, was a black man. With delight and terror struggling on his face, and with uplifted hands, he asked, "Afore God, sir, is Massa Linkum comin' in dat boat?"
The surrender was unconditional, and took place only an hour and twelve minutes from the firing of the first shot.
Commodore Foote could not sleep that night "for thinking of the poor fellows on board the Essex." The loss by scald- ing was nearly equal to the killed and wounded on both sides by artillery.
When the Eleventh reach Fort Heiman, nobody was to be seen but an old, frightened black man, who stood at the en- trance of a deserted camp. He said the Rebels had been gone an hour or two, and had left all their camp equipage, with provisions, many guns and some ammunition. The un- finished state of the fort was ascribed by the negro to the fright his masters had received at the time of the Federal exploring expedition from Paducah to Calloway Landing, as they had then sent off the slaves to safer territory, and were unwilling to continue the labor themselves. "Dey were bro't up to 'pend on de nigger, and dey couldn't work dem- selves."
General Smith was desirous of sending dispatches to Gen-
291
A TROUGH AND A SPADE.
eral Grant on the evening of his arrival at Fort Heiman, but there were no boats, and the river was swift and a half mile wide. His engineers tried to construct a raft, but failed. Lieutenant McMullen, company C, of the Eleventh Indiana, offered his services. General Smith accepted them, caution- ing him at the same time against exposing his life, and direct- ing him, if he found it dangerous to cross, to go down the bank and try to hail a gunboat. McMullen went to the wagon train, provided himself with a feed-trough and a spade, and boldly paddled out into the river. In the middle the current was strong, and threatened to engulf his clumsy craft; but after a struggle he landed safely, and delivered his dispatches.
The praises of the old Commodore were on every tongue, because he declared to the Rebel commander, "I was deter- mined to take the fort or go to the bottom;" but his spirit was no bolder nor firmer than that of the Lieutenant who made his way through the rushing waters with only his trough and his spade.
Directly after the capture of Fort Henry Commodore Foote sent Captain Phelps, of the Conestoga, with his own boat, the Lexington and the Tyler, on a reconnoissance up the river.
The Tyler was under the command of Lieutenant William Gwin, who was an Indianian by birth, and whose home was still in Indiana. He was educated partly in Cincinnati, partly in Vincennes and partly in the Naval Academy in An- napolis. IIe had spent the most of his life since 1847 on the sea, and had met with "moving accidents by flood and field." He was cruising in the East on a vessel officered almost en- tirely by Southern traitors when the rebellion broke out. All hastened home to take part in the war. Gwin was employed by the Government in the service along the Atlantic coast until in January, at his own request, he was directed to report to Commodore Foote at Cairo. He was by the Commodore placed in command of the Tyler.
The reconnoitring vessels left Fort Henry on the 6th of Feb- ruary, and returned on the 10th, having been as far as Florence, Alabama. They partly destroyed the bridge by which railroad communication was made between Columbus and Bowling
292
THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
Green, chased and captured several steamboats, with great quantities of supplies for the Confederate army, took a large amount of timber and lumber, enlisted twenty-five Tennes- seeans for the Union army, and broke up a Rebel encamp- ment. With great delight they discovered the existence of undying patriotism far within the Confederacy. In many places enthusiastic joy was manifested on their appearance. Men, women and children stood in crowds of hundreds on the shore, shouting their welcome and hailing the National flag with heartfelt happiness, while tears flowed down their faces. A few passages from a ballad published among the floating literature of the day may depict better than an attempted description, the mingled joy and sorrow, and also the instinctive desire of the loyal heart to bestow the now appreciated boon of liberty on the slave. The generous soul would share all its joys.
ON THE SHORES OF TENNESSEE.
"Move my arm-chair, faithful Pompey, In the sunshine bright and strong, For this world is fading, Pompey- Massa won't be with you long; And I fain would hear the south-wind Bring once more the sound to me, Of the wavelets softly breaking On the shores of Tennessee.
Mournful though the ripples murmur As they still the story tell, How no vessels float the banner I have loved so long and well. I shall listen to their music, Dreaming that again I see Stars and Stripes on sloop and shallop Sailing up the Tennessee.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.