Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-13
The Naval Engagement at Hickman, Ky,
CorIespondsnee Of the Memphis Appeal

N. Vs.
Correspondence OF the Memphis Appeal
HICKMAN, September 81 suppose that long be-
fore this reaches you the telegraph will have in
formed you of our movements in this direction and
also, of little semi naval engagement of yester
day, between one of our gunbOats, Capt HamitOns,
and Capt. Jacksons batteries, and two of Lincoln
piratical craft, which, of late have been cruising
about from below this point to Cairo and Paducah.
As this incident was initiatory of what may prove
a bloody conflict in this section of eur military OPP
erations, and withal was somewhat interesting and
exciting will endeavor to relate the circumstances
of the fight correctly possible
A little after II o'clock yesterday General Cheat
ham, who has command Of the forces here, received
Geographic dispatch from Columbus stating that
two gunboats below, and would, in all proba-
bility, pay a visit before they returned. He had
scarcely time to warn our gunbosts lying Just
above us, before they made their appearance around
the peint about four miles distant They continued
to proceed down the river until within three miles
of our lower battery, when they evidently began
preparations to make the attack.
Our gunbost swung round in a most graceful
manner and opened fire upon them with one of her
heavy sixty-fOur Founders The shot was well
directed and struck in pOint~blank range just this
ride of the boat in advance. This folio wed by
another from our boat which splashed in the wa
ter, throwing it up in vast columns apparently be-
tween them.
Capt. Hamilton's battery, manned by the South
ern Guards, one of your best volunteer companies
most gallant style. Then commenced q brisk and
sharp caunonading on both sdes-the enemy firing
brOadside after brOadsde fast they could turn
their boats. The Kissing of the shell and shot
through the air, the busting of bombs. the loud
roar of the cannon, and the beating of the drums
calling the infantry to arms made the scene highly
exciting.
Capt. Jackson, of the Steuben artillery, another
excellent company from Memphis, took a position
higher up the river, and opened fire on them with
rihed cannon. The peculiar whirl Of the balls
seemed to have frightened the Hessans so much
Col McCown, however, came near cutting them off
at Columbus, they having passed there only ten
minutes before he reached that place with several
thousand infantry and twenty feld-pieces.
The boys of the 4th regiment, commanded by Col
R p Nicely the only infantry had opportunity of
observing exhibited the coolest discipline during
the whole affair. The officers of the separate COM
panes were promptly at their posts, and gave their
orders as calmly and deliberately as in ordinary
drill All our field officers, from our gallant and
beloved colonel to the sergeant major, gave unmis-
taxable evidences that they ara as brave men as
SEER broke lance, or led squadron in the field"
and showed themselves fully competent for the DO
sitions they occupy. The officers and men of the
other regiments, | am told, behaved equally as
we'll
Had we known two hours sooner that we were to
be favored with the august presence of Lincoln 8
hirelings, they would have had another masked bat
terry story to tell and Abraham, in balancing his
accounts would have found himself minus two gun
boats, which he could easily have recOnciled by
placing them to the credit of Jefferson Davis in the
same account with the Equality and Cheney. here
tOfOre captured in these waters. We were unfor-
tun in first firing heavier guns than they have,
which induced them to believe that their sixteen
guns were hardly sufficient to cope with half dOz-
en- Of ours. This is In accordance, however, with
true Yankee bravery.