, 1861-09-07
NAVAL ENGAGEMENT At HICKMAN,
KENTUCKY,


CAEo. September :, 1861
Yesterday morning the Tyler and Lexington,
before stationed at Columbus, Ky, went down
to Hickman, Ky, on accommodating exped!-
ton, but hardly expecting to meet an enemy:
On approaching within short distance OF
the torn, before turning the bend which
brings it into full view, they discovered =
ANAL stern-Wheel steamer, painted black, eyi-
deEtly gun boat, which took to her heels.
On turning the bend, they discovered, By aid
Of glasses, huge side-Eheel gun boat-the
sYank kee"-of IMMENSE power, formerly used
as tug boat in New Orleans in towing up
ships from the Ra.ize. She sas plated strong
y With railroad iron Of the T pasterE.
Our gun boats opened. fire on her at dis.
tance Of abont three miles, aud the balls and
shell from the Tyler struck her xheelhouse
and burst, but the railroad iron threw it off
without any effect, The Yankee replied, but
her shots fell far short. On going closer tow
ards the town, a masked battery, also bate.
~ Of foEr rided cannon, were discovered ina
infantry Was seen hy our boats near the cen
ter Of the town, and tom the number Of tents
pitched, their force Must have been nearly
four Thousand strong.
The Tyler pitched a couple Of shells into
their. camp, and shortly afterwards dense
smoke was seen to arise, which convinced
our Daval officers that their camp, must have
been set on fire, and probably some Of the
rebels have been killed. No doubt is enter
tanned that this Is part Of Pillows force, as
the report CAME in day before yesterday, that
he Was crossing the Mississippi: with bis en-
tire army.
The (s'Yankee') rebel gunboat evidently
tiled to decoy our gunboat under the naske
batteries, from the fact that her shells fell
short, and that she has an 81 pounder on
board, Of longer range than any OF ours.
Commodore Rodgers did not deem it pru-
dentt to run these batteries On land and to en-
| gage her, for several reasons, viz: The force
OF the land batteries Was not known; tie AZ
| tiilery OF the rebel forces was uot known;
not expecting an engagement, he had only
| light rounds OF ammunition hsd only coal
! OF Tor one day and his tackle for haudIing
| the guns was incomplete, He therefore
deemed It advisable not to run the land bat
! te1ies, but endeavored to ccax the ttYau-
kee" outside Of their fire, where he could have
| a fsir shake at her. He ran up q short dis.
/ tance for thas purpose, the " Yenkee" " follow
/ Ing until she came to the land battery, where
| che stopped under it's guns. Commodore
Rodgers then rsn up with his two boats. at
Columbus, ct the upper part Of the town, they
were fired on from the bluff by rebels with
muskets. Several balls struck the sides OF the
| boats and one vent through the commanders
! gig. 4 couple of shells were pitched at them,
which fell among them, and they scampered
What effect they had il not known yet,
At Chalk Bluffs, On the Kentucky side, they
were again fired into by muskets, but no dam
| ege Was done. A cavalry company Was seen
| scouting through the woods. A dose of shel
/ was administered to them. On their way up
| they met the ConeEtega gun boat, sent down
| to relieve them, and she was ordered back
I with them.