The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-01

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(JUNE. 1889.
( Tennessee Rsyer RxpeAleeA-Ollcsal Ne
Pert ef Lieut.. 3. Z. RAs1ps.
aese U. s. GussoAr, "CoxRs7ooA,"
Tennessee River, February 10th, ie69S
Flag Officer a. II. Fooss, u. 8. NJ, Oosnnsardsn,
Nwd Fcrcs lpestpn Waxrs
6iR:--Soon after the surrender Of f. Hcnr,
on the 9th inst, proceeded in obedience 4
your orders, up the Tennessee river with tn.
Tylor, Lieut.. Commanding Gwin, Lexington
Lieut. Commanding Shirk, and this vessel, for
ming division Of the Tlosilla, and arrived af
ter dark ct the railroad crossing, IS miles above
the Fort, having destroyed on the way q small
amount Of camp eqoipage abandoned by the
fleeing rebels. The draw Of the bridge wa
found TO be closed and the machinery for turn.
ing il disabled. About one and a half miles
above were several rebel transport steamers es.
Gaping up stream. A party was landed, and in
one hour had the satisfaction to zee the draw
open. The Tylor being the slowcst OF the gun.
boats, Lieut.. Gwin Isrded force to destroy O
portion Of the railroad track, and to secure such
military stores 40 might be found, while direc.
ted Lieut.. Sbirk to follow me with all speed In
chase Of the fleeing boats. In Ave hours this
boat succeeded in forcing the rebels to abandon
and burn three Of their boats, loaded with mi.
litary stores. The first one fred Samuel Orr)
had on board a quantity of submarine batteries
which very soon exploded. The second was
freighted with powder, cannon shot, grape,
balls, &c. Fearing an explosion from the fred
boats (there we're two together,) I stopped at q
distance Of 1000 yards; but even then our sky.
lights were shattered by the concussion, the
light upper deck was raised bodily, doors were
forced open, and locks and fastenings every.
where broken. The whole river for half mile
around about was completely "beaten up" by
the falling fragments, and the shower Of shot,
grape, bab, &c. The house of a reputed ULi.
on man vas blown to pieces, and it was sus.
pected there was design in landing the rebels In
front OF the doomed house. The Lexington
having fallen sstern, and without pilot on
board, concluded to wait for both OF the boats
to come up Jonad BY them We proceeded up
the river. Lieut. Gwin had destroyed some Of
the tressle work at the end Of the bridge, bur.
ming with them lot Of camp cquipage. J. N.
Brown, formerly a Lieutenant In the Navy, now
signing himself Lieut.. @. 8. n, had fed with
such precipitation az to leave his papers be.
hind. These Lieut. Gw;n brought, and send
them to you, ss they give an official history of
the rebel floating preparations on the Mississip.
pi, Cumberland and Tennessee. Lieut.. Brown
had charge Of the construction Of guuboats -
A. night on the 7th we arrived at landing in
Hardee county, Tenn known az Cerro Gordo,
where We found the steamer Eastport being con.
verted into gunboat. Armed boat crews we're
sent on board, and search made for
means Of destruction that might baye been de-.
vised
She had been scuttled, aud the suction pipes
broken. These leaks were soon stopped. A
number OF rifle shots were fired at our vessels.
but a couple of SHELLS dispersed the rebels. On
examination found that there were large quan.
titles OF timber and lumber prepared for fitting
up the Eastport; that the vessel itself, some
two hundred and eighty feet long, was in excel.
lent condition, and already half finished. Con.
siderable Of the plating designed for her was
lying on the bank, and everything at hand to
complete her. l therefore directed Lieutenant
Gwin to remain with the Tylor to
guard the prize, and to load the lumber, &c.,
while the Lexington and Conestoga should pro-
ceed still higher up Soon after daylight we
passed Eastport, Mississippi, and at Chickasaw,
farther up near the State line, seized two steam.
ers, the "Sallie Wood" and "Muscle," the former
laid up, the latter freighted with iron destined
for Richmond and for rebel uses
We then proceeded on up the river, entering
the State Of A.abama, and ascending to Flor
ence, AZ the foot Of "Muscle Shoals" On com.
ing in sight Of the town three steamers were dis
covered, which were imme diately set on fire by
the rebels. Some shots were fred from the op.
posite side of the river below. A force was
landed and considerable quantities Of supplies,
marked Fort Henry" were secured from the
burning wrecks. Some had been landed and
stored. These seized, putting such as we could
bring away on board our vessels, and destroying
the remainder. No fats or other craft could be
found. found also more of the iron plating in
tended for the Eastport
A deputation Of the citizens of Florence wait.
ed upon me, first desiring that they might be
able to quiet the fears Of their wives and daugh.
ters, with assurance from me that they should
not be molested; and secondly, praying that
would not destroy their railroad bridge. As for
the first told them that we were neither ruff
ans nor savages, and that we were there to pro-
tect from violence and to enforce the law; and
with reference to the second, that if the bridge
was away, we could ascend 10 igher, and that
it could possess, go far as I saw, no military
Importance, as it simply connected Florence il.
self with the railroad on the south side Of the
river. We had seized three OF their steamers,
one the half finished gunboat, and had forced
the rebels to burn six others loaded with sup.
plies, and their loss, with that Of the freight is
severe loss TO the enemy. Two boats are still
known to be on the river, and are doubtless hid.
den in some Of the creeks where we shall be able
to find them when there is time for the search
We returned on the night Of the 9Th to where
the Eastport lay. The crew Of the Tylor had al.
ready gotten on board Of the prize an immense
amount of lumber, etc. The crews of the boats
set to work to flush it Immediately, and We have
brought away, probably, $50, 900 feet Of the best
quality Of ship and building lumber, all the iron
machinery, spikes, plating, nails, etc., belonging
to the rebel gunboat and caused tho mill to
be destroyed where the lumber had been sawed.
Lieutenant Commanding Gwin, 10 our absence,
enlisted some twenty-five TeBnesseeanr, who
gave information Of the encampment Of Colonel
DreW's rebel regiment at Savannah, Tennessee.
A portion OF tho six hundred or seven hundred
men were known to be pressed men, and all were
badly armed. After consultation with Lieuten.
ants Commanding Gwin and Shirk, determined
TO make q land attack upon the encampment-
Lieutenant Commanding Shirk with thirty rifle.
men came on board the Conestoga, leaving his
sSsSs . " 0sesS sssS A]"sspViep ouu
by the "Tyior," We proceeded up to that place,
prepared to land lS0 riff -men, and l2.pound
ri6ed b0witzer Lieutenant Commandiug Gwin
took command Of this force when landed, but
bad the modification to End the encampment
deserted. The rebels had fed at 10 O'Clock, at
night, leaving considerable quantities of arms,
clothing, shoes, camp utensils, provisions, imple-
ments, ETC., al Of which were secured or des.
troyed, and their winter quarters of log hu:s
were burned. ! seized also large mail bag,
and send you the letters giving military isfor.
nation.
The gunboats were then dropped down to a
point where arms gathered under the rebel
(press) law had been stored; and an armed par
ty, under Second Master Goudy, Of the TYLER,
succeeded in sesing 10 rifles and fowling pieces.
Returning 70 Ossro Gordo, We took the Eastport,
Sable Woods and Muscle in TOW, and came down
the river to the railroad crossing. The Muscle
sprung leak, and all efforts failed to prevent
Grrs ais e.. -