Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-27
An Incident OF tho War.

ESSEN, VT, hplll III, 1865.
To Vie Editor Of the Free Press and Times:
heard today from an cid veteran cav
alryman criticisms on the article in your
last Saturdays issue on "Another brave man
gone" lie said the article was overdrawn,
or u mistake made by the writer But can
assure him there is not particle of cxagger-
alton about it. had detailed Warner for
the magazine for this very reason Of his
GOODNESS. IIo stool in what Is called the
magazine passage. We had no regular
constructed magazine in those vessels, called
the tin clads They were built for the service
OF operating against rebel gucrrlas to keep
them from crossing the Tennessee as they
drew about two feet water only and could be
lightencd to ten inches. Everything was
above water, powder and fixed ammunition
was stored amidships, and shot and shells in
each wing, close down to kcclson the rebels
firing at us from Whitworth six Founders.
All Hoods batteries and the whole army
were between us and Decatur, at the foot OF
the bend, four miles distant, and not shot,
shell or stone passed through the magazine,
only II few bursting on board, as
we were going past them at the rate of 10
miles an hour, but our upper works were
riddled with muskctry. They could not get
| our range.
Now had a little experience during that
| unpleasantness, entering the service early in
1861, was IN nearly every engagement on
the upper river, from DonelsOn to close of
the war; and passing those batteries was the
hottest place | was in during the four
years.
The writer of that article, &. NJ. Booth
of Essex, was entitled to much credit for his
GOODNESS and bravery, both before and after
the action. We were patrolling the
river to watch Hoods army and learn, if
possible, where lie was going to cross the
river. Booth and Warner both volunteered
to act as scouts and crawl through brush
near enough to the enemy's lines to watch his
movements. Booth went night after night,
always choosing the darkest and returned to
gunboat at daylight when we would start
off messenger with the information to Gen.
Thomas's headquarters. In this way Booth
brought the first news that Hood with
his whole army was moving down river.
One OF General Thomas's officers carried the
information to headquarters of post at
Huntsville and telegraphed the information,
bringing back the thanks Of the commanding
general to the gunboat for our vigilance in
lIC llNCl lOl NuluhUlc
alton given, with orders for us to proceed
at once to the assistance of General Granger
in command of the post of Decatur, where
we had large quantity OF stores. To do
this we had 10 tighten over shoals, heaving
our coal out on the bank and wooding up
from fences. This detained us so that it
was p. m. when we arrived at the head of
| the bend in river four miles above Decatur,
when we spoke an armed transport who re-
ported in these words Captain, you can
not 60 to the assistance of General Granger,
for Hoods whole army and batteries are
posted in the bend" Said |, in reply,
There is no better place TO sell these two
gunboats than right here. am ordered to
20 to General Changers assistance and am
going. You follow me-" she was close to
We're going so fast they could not
keep our range, but just little dlly
dallying, half hour of hesitation and
Hood would have gobbed General Granger.
WHcn reported to him after silcncing the
rebel batteries nearest the Union lines, he
said to me Captain if you had been
sent from heaven you conldnt have come in
more opportune moment, for the enemy
has taken all my outer works"
General Hood says in his report "La,e in
the afternoon the enemy having received
rcinforcemcnts of his gunboats. considered
it would cost too dear to force a crossing
here"
Before dark the rcbs. were out OF sight,
and that night sunk four OF the same class of
gunboats as ours, which undertook to fight
lying at anchor. Without Booths informa-
ton we should not have known in time to
have rendered General Granger the needed
assistance.
Records report little about the action
for the reason, as RearlAdmiral 5. p. Lee,
|. ). Navy, wrote me this winter, because
his flagship was destroyed by fire before
| they were sent to Washington: 50 the critics
| can see that even tin clad and some Essex
boys did some service, if they didn't belong
to the cavalry.
must give you one little incident which
| happened after the action that night.
Hood had gone and all was quiet. We
were just turning in for the first good nights
| snooze for three weeks, when off came one
of General Changers aids who said the
| rcbs were reported getting a pontoon across
the river four miles above; and we up
anchor, steamed up to the place, found all
by north shore and all hands laid by their
guns. About / o'clock a. NJ, rip, rip, rir,
rattle, came vollcy after volley of muskelry,
from what we called our side Of the river.
| We let 20 our broadsidc into the bush, and
such racket when the report died away.
We could hear cavalry going down the hard
road on the bank. About two hours after
| General Changers chief Of staff came up to
us and cleared up the mystery. A ARGUMENT
of green troops had come in on the cars after
dark and were ordered up to my assistance
Not knowing anything about gunboats they
took "A shot at the black thing lying aside
the bushes on the river and walked up such
a nest oil hornets the Colonel said they didn't
stop galloping until they reached head
quarters and reported pontoon across the
nver. | have always thought that | would
like to have seen the officers in command Of
that cavalry, so cur good brave Essex boys
critczers could see that cavalry sometimes
make blunders. When | see a veteran
Joining in with these stay-at-homc growler
it simply makes me mad and stay ma,
until say something | wonder how many
STAY t-homcs would have volunteered t,
have taken that little trip with US that after
| noon.
should have said that good cid Warner
God bless him, did not act as scout, III
being in charge of magazine l could no
spare him.
Respectfully yours,
| q MnpTnS