USA > Tennessee > The military annals of Tennessee. Confederate. First series: embracing a review of military operations, with regimental histories and memorial rolls, V.2 > Part 55
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While these assaults and sorties were being conducted on the left and center, Gen. C. F. Smith was not altogether idle. He made three distinct charges upon Hanson's position, which were pushed, as Jordan says, "with more spirit than
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judgment, and were readily repulsed by Hanson's and Palmer's regiments and Porter's Battery."
. The weather thus far had been unusually mild and pleasant for the season, but on Thursday afternoon a driving rain-storm of sleet and snow set, in with a keen, icy north wind which made the cold so excessive that soldiers of both sides suf- fered intensely. The half-clad Confederates were only kept from freezing by the continued work throughout the night strengthening the intrenchments. No one knows the terrible discomfort and horrible suffering of that fearful night so well as the hungry and exhausted soldiers of both armies. The morning of the 14th came with two inches of snow and a continued chilly north wind. The lines were all readjusted. No assault was made, though a rambling fire from the artillery and sharp-shooters was kept up all along the lines throughout the day.
At three P.M. a furious cannonade by the fleet of gun-boats was made on the water-batteries, and although terrific and at short range no damage was done our batteries; but the heavy charges from our guns with wonderful accuracy went crashing through the iron and massive timbers with such resistless force, causing slaughter and destruction throughout the fleet, that the defiant gun-boats were forced to retire down the river badly crippled and vanquished. It is said that the five gun-boats received no less than one hundred and forty severe hits from the Confederate guns. Fifty-four Federals in the fleet were killed and wounded. and not a Confederate hurt. The hitherto invincible iron-clads worsted and driven back greatly elated the Confederates.
It had been decided in a council of general officers on the night of the 14th to attack the enemy's right at daylight on the 15th, and open communication with Charlotte in the direction of Nashville. This movement had become necessary in consequence of the vastly superior and constantly increasing force of the ene- my, who had already completely invested our works, and the uncertainty of Con- federate reinforcements -- in fact, none were expected, on the contrary. Gen. Al- bert Sidney Johnston had ordered a withdrawal of the troops in case the works could not be held. Gen. Pillow in person took charge of the extreme left of the Confederate lines. Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson, commanding the center, was di- rected to move out of the trenches with his division, except Heiman's brigade, which was ordered to extend its lines and hold the works occupied by Johnson. Gen. Buckner was ordered to attack the enemy's right center, leaving Head's Thir- tieth Tennessee to hold his works.
At five A.M. Gen. Pillow hotly engaged the enemy with Baldwin's brigade, which was soon followed by Gen. B. R. Johnson's division. Porter's Battery, with Buckner's division, was held in reserve to cover the rear of the withdrawing army where the Wynn's Ferry road crosses the Confederate intrenchments, and did not become engaged until about nine A.M. The fight was hotly contested all along this part of the line. The Confederates, with great vigor and courage, were able to turn the Federal right and press it back upon its center, thus opening up the Wynn's Ferry road to enable the army to withdraw. Gen. Pillow, greatly elated at the victory, ordered Gen. Buckner to hasten to his old lines on the Confederate right, which were now in great peril from an attack by the veteran C. F. Smith. Gen. Buckner declined to obey, as he did not consider Gen. Pillow superior in com- mand, but urged upon Gen. Floyd to carry out the original plan of evacuation. After some delay, and a good deal of vacillation on the part of Floyd, Buckner
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directed his divison to reoccupy their old works. While this was being accom- plished Gen. C. F. Smith in person led six stout regiments upon Hanson's works, which were now defended by the gallant Turner with only three companies of Head's regiment. Turner fell back some hundred yards to the crest of a ridge, where he was joined by Hanson. Brown had partially reoccupied his old position to the left of Hanson, and by the rapid and galling cross-fire from the Third and Eighteenth Tennessee regiments, aided by the guns of Porter's Battery, the line was saved, which prevented the water-batteries from being captured that evening. Bailey's, Suggs's, and Quarles's regiments very soon reenforced this new line, and one section of Graves's battery, under the personal direction of the heroic Graves. took position at the intersection of the new with the old lines, and as usual was most conspicuous for its effective work. Morton's section of Porter's Battery, which had been delayed in reaching its former position, was promptly thrown into action to the left of Graves, under a heavy fire. The horses were shot down, and the guns run into place by hand. Until dark the desperate conflict raged. Lieut. Hutchison, of Porter's Battery, was severely shot through the neck. Lieut. Cul-
5 bertson, of the same battery, was hit; and the gallant Capt. Thomas K. Porter, who, Hanson said, "always directed his guns at the right time and to the right place," was disabled by a severe and dangerous wound, and was borne from the field. Capt. Porter's marked coolness and dash, and the efficient and intelligent manner in which he handled his guns, elicited the unbounded admiration of all whosaw him. While being carried bleeding from the field, he said to me, " Don't let them have the guns, Morton." I replied, "No, Captain; not while I have one man left," little mindful that my apprehensions would be so nearly carried out. The cannoneers had been greatly reduced by frost-bites, wounds, and deaths, until toward the close of this engagement I had only three men left at one gun. One of these was wounded and left where he fell, we being unable to remove him at the moment. Pat Kine, acting number one, who was always at his post, seeing the dead and wounded lying thick around us, impelled by that generous and gal- lant nature and impulsive disposition so characteristic of the Irish race, threw himself in front of me, saving: "Lieutenant, Lieutenant, get lower down the hill. or they will kill you;" and actually embraced me, as if to make a shield of him- self to the enemy's bullets for my protection. I replied: "No, Pat; let us give them one more round." He promptly seized his ramming-staff, and while in the act of driving the charge home was shot through the heart and dropped under- neath his gun. Night soon closed the bloody combat.
Porter's Battery, from its active participation in the four-days' conflict, its ad- vanced and exposed position, lost eight men killed outright and twenty-five wounded, making a total in killed and wounded of thirty-three out of forty-eight officers and men engaged actively at the guns. The remainder of the company were drivers, teamsters, and artificers, and, with the horses, were protected in a ravine at some distance from the battery.
After recovering from the protracted confinement occasioned by his wound Capt. Porter returned to the army, and was assigned to duty as Chief of Artillery to Buckner's division, and afterward held the same position on Cleburne's stati. He was wounded at Hoover's Gap, and upon recovery was transferred to the Con- federate Navy as executive officer of the " Florida." After the war he com- manded a California merchant-steamer, and died in 1869.
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The teamsters and drivers of the battery escaped with Lieut. Burt, as they were near by, and dropped in with Forrest's cavalry, all of whom left the works before day of the morning of the surrender. I, with some twelve or fifteen men, suf- fered seven months' confinement at the Alton, Camp Chase, and Johnson's Island prisons. When exchanged, in the fall of 1862, at Jackson, Miss., I got permis- sion to report with my little squad to Gen. Bragg at Murfreesboro, who at my re- quest ordered me to report to Gen. Forrest, where the Porter Battery was reor- ganized and known throughout Forrest's campaigns as Morton's battery.
FORT HENRY. BY JESSE TAYLOR, JACKSON, TENN.
ABOUT the 1st of September, 1861, while commanding a camp of artillery in- struction (Weakley) near Nashville, Tenn., I received a visit from Lieut .- col. Milton Haynes, First Regiment Tennessee Artillery, who informed me of the es- cape of a number of steamers from the Ohio, and of their having sought refuge under the guns of Fort Henry; that a "cutting out" expedition was anticipated from Paducah; that, as there was no experienced artillerist at the fort, the Gov- ernor, I. G. Harris, was anxious that the deficiency be immediately supplied; that he had no one at his disposal unless I would consent to give up my "Light Bat- tery " (subsequently Porter's and later still Morton's) and take command at Fort Henry. Anxious to be of service, and believing that the first effort of the Fed- erals would be to penetrate our lines by the way of the Tennessee River, I at once consented to the exchange, to the loudly expressed disapproval and wonder of my friends.
Arriving at the fort, it. required only a glance at its surroundings to convince me that extraordinarily bad judgment or worse had selected the site for its erec- tion. I was surprised to find it situated in a bottom commanded by high hills on both sides of the river, within good rifle range. The fact was at once communi- cated to the military authorities of the State, who replied that the "location had been selected by a competent engineer, and with reference to mutual support with Donelson." Knowing that the crude ideas of a sailor concerning fortifications were entitled to but little consideration when brought in conflict with those enter- tained by a West Pointer, I decided to quietly acquiesce, and to submit to what- ever the fates or blundering stupidity might hold in store. But an accidental oh- servation of a water-mark left on a tree caused me to carefully examine for this sign above, below, and in the rear of the fort, and from the result to become con- vinced that we had a mightier and more irresistible foe to contend with than any the Federals could bring against us. This enemy was the river itself. Continu- ing my investigation by making inquiry of the old settlers, I was confirmed in my fears that the fort was not only subject to overflow, but that the highest point in it would be, in the usual February rise, at least two feet under water. This alarm- ing fact was also submitted to the proper State authorities, and elicited a curt notification that the State forces had been turned over to the Confederacy, and that I should communicate with Gen. Polk on the subject. This suggestion was at once acted on-not only once, but frequently, and with the urgency the impor-
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tance of the subject demanded -- which finally resulted in being referred to Gen. A. S. Johnston, who, on the matter being brought to his attention, immediately dis- patched an officer of engineers (Maj. Gilmer) to investigate; but it was now too late to effectually remedy the defect, though an effort was made by beginning to fortify the heights on the west bank, immediately opposite the fort.
The armament of the fort at the time I assumed command consisted of six smooth-bore thirty-two pounders and one six-pounder iron field-piece, manned by Co. B, First Regiment Tennessee Artillery, Lieut. Stanckievitch commanding. By Feb. 1, 1861, this armament had been increased, by the persistent exertions of Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, Col. A. Heiman, and myself, to two forty-twos, eight thirty-twos, one one hundred and twenty-eight pounder (Columbiad), five twenty- four-pounder siege-guns, and one six-inch rifled gun. We had also six twelve- pounders, but of such a "pot-metal" appearance.that it was deemed best to sub- ject them to a test before giving them position; and as two of them burst when tried with an ordinary charge, the others were set aside as useless. Much of the powder supplied was of a very inferior quality, so much so that it was deemed necessary to adopt the dangerous expedient of adding to each charge a proportion of quick-burning powder. That this was required will, I think, be admitted when it is understood that to obtain a random of one mile-the distance from the fort to a small island below-it was necessary to give an elevation of anywhere from eight to fifteen degrees.
During the winter of 1861-62 the gun-boats made frequent appearance in the Tennessee, and, coming up under cover of the island already mentioned, would favor us with an hour or more of shot and shell; but as their object was evidently to draw our fire, and thus obtain the position and range of our guins, thoughi often sorely tempted by the provoking accuracy of their fire, we deemed it best not to make any return.
On Feb. 4 the Federal gun-boats, followed by countless transports, appeared in the river below the fort. Far as eye could see the course of the river could be traced by the dense volume of smoke issuing from the vast flotilla, indicating that the long-threatened attempt to penetrate our lines was to be made in earnest. The gun-boats took up position about three miles below, and opened a brisk fire on the fort, at the same time furiously shelling the woods, thus covering the de- barkation of their army on the east bank of the river. The 5th was a day of un- usual animation on the quiet waters of the Tennessee. All day long the flood- tide of arriving and the ebb of returning transports never ceased. Late in the afternoon three of the gun-boats, two on the west side of and under cover of the isl- and and one to the east near the fort, took position and opened a vigorous and well- directed fire, which was received in silence until a loss of one killed and three wounded induced me to order the Columbiad and rifle to open. Six shots were fired-three from each piece-and with such effect as to force the boats to drop out of range.
At night Gen. Tilghman called a council of his most trusted officers. Cols. Heiman, Forrest, and Drake, Maj. Gilmer and Capt. Hayden, of engineers, are all the names I can now recall as having been present. The strength of the Fed- erals was variously estimated, the lowest placing their force at twenty-five thou- sand. To oppose this force Gen. Tilghman had less than, four thousand men, mostly raw regiments armed with shot-guns and hunting-rifles; in fact, the best
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equipped regiment in the command-the Tenth Tennessee-was armed with old Tower of London flint-lock muskets that had done the State service in the war of 1812. The general opinion and final decision were that successful resistance to such an overwhelming force was an impossibility, and that the army should fall back and unite with Pillow and Buckner at Donelson. Gen. Tilghman, recogniz- ing the difficulty of withdrawing undisciplined troops from the front of an active opponent, turned to me with the question, "Can you hold out for one hour against a determined attack?" I replied that I could. "Well then, gentlemen, rejoin your commands and hold them in readiness for instant movement."
The garrison left at the fort consisted of a part of Co. B, First Tennessee Ar- tillery, Lients. Watts and Weller, with fifty-four men, First Lient. Stanckievitch and thirty men having been detached with some light field-pieces to aid in the retreat.
The forenoon of the 6th was spent by both sides in making preparations for the coming struggle. The gun-boats formed line of battle abreast under cover of the island. The "Carondelet," thirteen guns; "Louisville," thirteen guns; " Essex," thirteen guns; and "St. Louis," or "Mound City," thirteen guus (I am doubtful as to the name), formed the van or front. The "Conestoga," seven guns; " Lex- ington," seven guns; and "Tyler," seven guns, formed the rear line. So soon as the line of battle was developed I assigned to each gun the vessel to which it was to devote its compliments, and directed that the guns be kept constantly trained on the advancing boats. Accepting the volunteered services of Capt. Hayden, of the engineers, to assist at the Columbiad, I repaired to and took personal supervision of the rifled gun.
The gun-boats opened fire while under cover of the island, and, advancing stead- ily, increased its rapidity until, as they swung into the main channel above the island, they appeared one sheet of leaping, living flame. The fire, though ex- ceedingly rapid, was very accurate. The van being now less than a mile distant, the command was given to fire. And just here let me say that as pretty and as simultaneous a broadside was delivered as I ever saw flash from the sides of a " crack" frigate. After the first command to fire the order was, "Load and fire at will." The action had now become general, and for the next twenty or thirty minutes was as hot, rapid, and accurate as one could wish, the advantage evidently inclin- ing to the fort.
The iron-clad " Essex" had dropped out of the fight disabled. The fleet had hesitated, halted, and seemed falling back, when a succession of untoward and unavoidable accidents happened in the fort which restored the confidence and ad- vance of the flotilla-viz .: the rifled gun, from which I had just been called by duty, burst with disabling effect, not only to its own detachment, but to the guns near it. Going to the Columnbiad as the only effective gun remaining, I met Gen. Tilghman, and for the first time knew that he had returned to the fort, he having crossed to the west bank of the river that morning, and was, I supposed, with the retreating army. While consulting with him, a sudden exclamation of anger or surprise called my attention to the Columbiad, which I found spiked with its own priming-wire. The wire, having been too hastily inserted, was caught by the ram- home blow of the rammer, and so bent in the vent as to effectually spike the gun for that day. The Federal commander, observing the silence of the two hea. v guns, renewed his advance and increased the accuracy of his fire. Two of the
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thirty-twos were struck almost at the same instant, and the flying fragments of the shattered guns and burst shells disabled every man at the two guns. His rifle-shot and shell, penetrating the earth-works as readily as a pistol-ball would a pine plank, so disabled other guns as to leave us but four capable of service.
Gen. Tilghman held a hasty consultation with Maj. Gilmer, Lieut. Watts, and myself. The decision reached was that continued resistance would only result in useless loss of life, and that, the object of the defense being accomplished, the only thing remaining to be done was to surrender. He thereupon ordered me to strike the colors, now become a dangerous as well as painful task. The flag-staff had been struck a number of times. The topmast hung so far out of the perpendicu- lar that it seemed likely to come down by the run at any moment. The flag-hal- yards had been cut, but fortunately "fouled" at the cross-trees. Beckoning-for it was useless amidst the din to call-to Sergt. Jones, an old man-of-war man, to fol- low, we ran across to the flag-staff and up the lower rigging to the cross-trees, and by our united efforts and habit of manipulating ropes succeeded in doing that which, though I fully recognized the necessity, was the most painful duty it had ever been my lot to perform-lower the flag under which I had been fighting.
The view from that elevated position was at that time grand, exciting, and strik- ing. At our feet the fort, with her few remaining guns, was sullenly hurling in- nocuous shot against impervious sides. The fleet-now within two hundred yards of the fort, in perfect security from harm-was sending, with the accuracy of target- practice, her missiles of destruction, which swept the fort from "stem to stern." To the north and west, on both sides of the river, were the hosts of "blue-coated , gentry," an anxious and highly interested army of spectators of the drama going on before them. To the east was to be seen the feeble force of the Confederacy making its way toward Donelson.
In the morning we were assured that the February rise in the river had come. and was coming with a boom. When the action began the lower parts of the fort were already flooded. When the colors were struck the water was waist-deep there. When the Federal cutter came with the officers to receive the formal sur- render, contrary to all established precedent it pulled in at the sally-port. Be- tween the fort and where the infantry support had been was a sheet of water a quarter of a mile or more wide, and running like a mill-race. If the Federals had delayed forty-eight hours, I believe there would not have been a single hos- tile shot exchanged. The Tennessee would have accomplished the work-the magazine would have been flooded.
Well, the fight was over, and we, the little garrison, were prisoners of war, but our small army had been saved. It had been required of us to hohl out for one hour. We had held out, by Federal time, over two hours. I had been too act- ively employed to make much note of time, so set down the Federal report. We went into action with nine guns. We had two more (forty-twos), but without shot or shell for them. Of the fifty-four men who went into the fight nine were killed and sixteen seriously wounded. Several more were slightly hurt. Of the Fed- eral loss I shall only say that when the " Essex" dropped out of line I could see her men wildly throwing themselves into the swollen waters of the Tennessee; that Admiral Foote reported his boat, the flag-ship, as struck thirty-eight times; that the commanding officers of the different gun-boats, with most of whom I
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enjoyed a warm personal friendship, complimented me most highly on the accu- racy of our practice.
This I do firmly believe. that with effective guns the same accuracy of fire would have sunk or driven back the fleet sent against us. And this excellence of practice was attained by a lot of Tennessee lads who only a few weeks previous had been following the plow, standing behind the counter, or sitting on the rough benches of an old field school-house. My personal connection with Co. B was severed by the surrender, though I heard with pride of its doing good and gallant service at Fort Hudson and again at Mobile.
RICE'S BATTERY BY B. F. HALLER, MEMPHIS, TENN. -
RICE's Battery, Tennessee Volunteers, was organized as an infantry company early in 1861, under the name of "Sumter Grays," and shortly after assisted at and became a part of the organization known as the Thirty-eighth Regiment Tennes- see Volunteers, and was assigned to the right (Co. A). At this time Co. A was officered by John A. Lee, Captain; T. W. Rice, First Lieutenant; A. D. Gwynne, Second Lieutenant; B. F. Haller, Second Lieutenant.
The regiment was organized at Camp Abingdon, near Rossville, then known as La Fayette Station, on the Memphis and Charleston railroad. The follow- ing officers were elected: Robert F. Looney, of Memphis, Colonel; I. J. Gol- laday, of Columbia, Lieutenant-colonel; D. H. Thrasher, Major; Dr. G. C. Gray, of Memphis, Surgeon; R. A. Sanford, of Memphis, Adjutant.
Shortly after the completion of organization the regiment was ordered to East Tennessee, where it remained until the latter part of the winter. The arms of the regiment being inspected and found utterly worthless, the General command- ing the department declined to allow them to participate in the battle of Fishing Creek. Later they were ordered to the line of railroad between Corinth and Iuka. While here the popularity of Col. Looney brought to his command several new companies.
When Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston continued his retreat from Fort Donelson Col. Looney was ordered to Eastport, on the Tennessee River, to prevent the Federal gun-boats from ascending to Decatur and destroying the railroad bridge, thus seriously interfering with Gen. Johnston's programme. How well the gal- lant Looney performed the duty assigned to him should be told by some one whose pen can do justice to one who was entirely competent, and in justice should have had the rank and command of a division. With his small force of infantry and two smooth-bore twenty-four pound guns he defeated the Federal gun-boats in every attempt to pass, and they were finally compelled to retire. To Looney's Thirty-eighth the army of Gen. Johnston was indebted for the dispatch with which it arrived at Corinth.
Previous to the Eastport affair the writer, while in Richmond, had an interview with Mr. Benjamin, Secretary of War, who placed in his hand written authority for Col. R. F. Looney to organize regiments and battalions, to be formed into a
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