Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-02-19
Interesting Account of the Gunboat
Visit up the River to Alabama The
People Hail the Cid Flag as a De-
liverer.
Special Dispatch to the Chicago Tribune.1
FoRT HENRY. Tenn, February %, 1862,
VIA CAIRO, midnight, nth.

-
VIA CAIRO, midnight, nth
The cunboats Lexington, Conestoga and
Taylor, which went up the river immedi-
atelv after the surrender of Fort Henry,
have returned After the taking of the
Fort, they gave chase to the rebel steamer
Dunbar Reaching the bridge of the
Memphis, GAINESVILLE and Louisville rail
road which crosses this river % miles
above our boats set fire TO a portion of il,
took quantity of stores, &c, and passed
on in chase Of the Dunbar, but did not
overtake her 1t is supposed she escaped
by running up some creek in the night.
Our gunboats went as far as Florence,
Alabama, the head of navigation for large
steamers, being about $50 miles from Pa
ducah Everywhere along the river they
were received with astonishing welcome
by the numerous [ aion families in south
ern Tennessee and northern Ala Dama, aud
at the little towns along the river the old
flag was looked upon as redeemer, and
! hailed with shouts of Joy. as an earnest to
show that the sentiment was genuine
Capt Gwin of the Taylor recruited thirty
men for service on the gunboats, and says
he can Get as many more recruits as would
man the whole fleet These people have
suffered much from the oppression heaped
upon IueH DIV the NlIlllllO us uSufDdtlOnS
of these rebel vandals
There are now in Tennessee Nissis
sirDi and Alabama, through all of which
States our gunboats have now passed, bet
ter Union men by half than generally are
found along the Ohio river. Many of the
people at Florence were so delighted at
finding the Stars and Stripes once more
their protection, that they proposed to
give ball to the officers of the gunboats :;
but as they were under orders, they could
not remain to accept their courtesies.
Wherever our boats landed, the people,
after the first fright, and when they be-
came assured that the gunboats did not
come to destroy, but to save, seemed to
have no means too extravagant to express
their delight and iov
The rebels burnt all the steamers on
the river they could find Among those
burned are the steamers Lynn Boyd, Sam
Orr, Smith. Time. Sam Kirkman, AppEe-
ton and Belle Our gunboats captured
three of their steamer, one of which, the
EdStport, was being built for a gunboat
and not quite finished The rebel. tried
to scuttle her, but had not time to succeed.
She was taken at Savannah, Tenn, and
had on board a large quantity Of plate
iron for her completion. Capt Gwin says
she will make splendid gunboat and has
the advantage Of speed. The other boats
taken were named Sally, Woods and the
Muscle, the latter being loaded with lum-
ber-some j. 900 feet
An encampment of some 600 men under
Col. Crews, which was recruiting a short
distance back of Savannah, learning of
our gunboats having passed up to Flor
ence, Immediately dispersed Our officers
not being aware of the existence of this
encampment when passing up, stopped
there on their return, and Captain Gwinn,
with 100 men, detachments from the three
gunboats accompanied by Lieut. Conday
Shirk, with another officer, marched out
to the encampmcnt, which, finding aban-
doned, they set fire to. They captured a
large quantity Of Quartermaster' and
Commissary stores, and 80 stand of arms
The provisions were distributed among
the destitute Union men, as was done at
several other points where cOmmlssary
stores were taken.
Calicoes are worth 81 per yard, and
whskey 8 per quart. There is con
siderable suffering among the population.
Upon the next visit of the gunboats
they will take on more recruits for the
other boats One boat goes up the river
this morning.
Col. \ II. MARYLAND has been appointed
Military Postal Director for this wing Of
the Western Department by Gen. Grant
The weather is improving and the roads
drying.