Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-07
Southern War History.

a paper READ before the Southern
Historical Society at Louisville last
week, written by Captain j. w. Nor
ton, Chief of Artillery to Forests
cavalry, narrated the destruction of
the national gunboats, transports,
barges, storehouses and stores at
Johnsonville, Tenn, on the Tennessee
river by Forests cavalry on the Sd of
November, 1882. This was at the
time when General Sherman was con-
sidering whether to follow Hood back
into Tennessee, and thus, as he said,
lose the whole effect of his campaign,
or to march away on picnic, leaving
Thomas and the troops Eguarding
the lines to protect the North from
Hood.
Jacksonville was principal depot
Of stores. From there a new railroad
ran directly east to Nashville. 1t had
forts on its own side of the river, but
was unguarded on the west bank. This
bank was highest near the river, and
its sloping backward made easy to
plant guns which could not be reached
by the guuboats, nor hurt by the fire
from the forts. Captain Morton mar
rates that the guns were brought for
ward and planted on this bank, up
and down the river, all unknown to
the garrison and hotilla across the
river until they opened fire, which it
appears neither the forts nor the gun
boats could effectively return.
1t seems to have been a singular
condition for so great depot of stores
in district which had long been un-
der the command of such great Gen
erals as Grant and Sherman. Captain
Morton gives the following as the re-
suits of this expedition:
As results of this raid we recount
destruction at Jacksonville of three
gunbosts, eleven transports, many of
them new and on their first trip, and
some eighteen barges; and of build
ings, Quartermasters' and Commissa-
ries' stores, according to Federal est
mate, to the value Of over $4,000, 900.
The gunboat Undine had been pre-
viously captured and destroyed, as
we'll as the transports Cheesman and
Mazeppa and three barges, from which
a large amount of subsistence, blankets
and shoes, as already stated, had been
secured. This had been accomplished
with the loss of two twenty FOUNDER
PARROTS" which were captured with
the Venus upon her recapture. These
guns, however, had been captured by
Forests cavalry from the enemy at
Fort Pillow. Two men from the artil-
lery were slightly wounded and two
men killed, and two from the cavalry.
This was the way the money went in
the war. 1t greatly beat Grants loss
of his depot at Holly Springs.
This may be good meat for the
Southern Historical Society, but the
North has its historians who also were
the greater part Of the affairs they
told, and General Sherman, in the
Memoirs" has disposed of this
affair in much more jaunty manner.
He relates that while he was reason
ing to himself that Hood could not
cross the Tennessee save at some place
inaccessible to our gunboats, this little
incident happened:
On the 3lst of October Forrest
made his appearance on the Tennes-
see river opposite Johnsonville
(whence a new railroad ran to Nash
ville), and with his cavalry and field
pieces actually crippled ana captured
two gunboats with five of our trans
ports, feat of arms which | confess
excited my admiration.
1t was a thing to be admired by a
commanding general who found the
tables Of his invading campaign turned
against him, and the situation so
looking decidedly squally" that be
saw no way out OF it but to get out.
But between General Sherman's ad-
miration, and this ex-Confederate
Captains historical paper, are dropped
out two of the gunboats, all OF the II
transports, some eighteen barges, the
storehouses and stores, the aggregate
estimated (perhaps in Confederate
money! at $8,000,0O0. Did General
Sherman's admiration regard these az
trifes of detail, or has the Confederate
historian acquired facility with the
most potent weapon Of our greatest
generals, the long bowl