Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-28


were opposed. But
the defeat at Manassas and other re-
verses convinced the government OF
the serious character of the confess,
and Of the necessity of more vigorous
and extensive preparations for war. Our
navy yards were soon filled with work
men; recruiting stations for unemployed
seamen were established, and we soon
had more sailors than were required
for the ships that could be fitted for
service Artillerymen for the defense
of Washington being scarce, 500 OF
these sailors, with battalion or ma
rines (for guard duty. were sent to
occupy the forts of Shutters Hill. near
Alexandria, Va.
While Flag officer Andrew II. Foote
in command of the naval operations in
southwestern waters. was improvisins
a fiotilla for the western rivers he was
making urgent appeals to the govern
ment for seamen. Finally some one al
the Navy Department thought or the
500 tars stranded on Shutters Hill, and
obtained an order for their transfer to
Cairo, Ill There they met fresh-water
sailors from our great lakes and steam
boat hands from the western rivers
OF the seamen from the east there
were Maine lumbermen, New Bedford
whalers, New York liners and Philadel-
phia sea-lawyers. The foreigners en-
listed were mostly Irish, with few
English and Scotch, French. Germans,
Swedes, Norwegians and Danes.
X
During the spring and summer of
1861 there were altered. equipped and
manned for immediate service on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers three
wooden gunboats-the Tyler. the Lex
ington and the Conestoga. This nucleus
Of the Mississippi fiotilla. completed
with great skill and dispatch, soon had
full possession of the western rivers
above Columbus. Ky. and rendered
more important service than as many
regiments could have done. On Octo-
Der IL, 1861, the st. Louis. afterward
known as the De Kalb, the first of the
seven iron-clad gunboats ordered of
James b. Eads by the government. was
launched at Carondelet. near st. Louis
The other ironclads. the Cincinnati,
Carondelet. Louisville, Mound City,
Cairo and Pittsburgh. We're launched
soon after the St Louis. To the fleet
of ironclads above named were added
the Benton tthe largest and best yes-
sci of the western fiotilla), the Essex
gunboats.
Flag Officer Foote assumed command
in person OF the western fiotilla In Sep
tember 1881 He had been my fellow
midshipman I'm 1927 on board the United
States ship Natehez of the West India
squadron. and was then promising
young ofiicer. During the cruise. while
pacing the deck at night on tie lonely
seas. and talking with pious 1ipmate,
Foote became convinced OF the truth OF
the Christian religion, of which he was
an earnest professor to the last he
rendered important service while In COM
mand Of the brig Perry, on the coast or
Africa, in 1S49, In suppressing the slave
trade. and he greatly distinguished him
self by his skill and gallantry In the
attack upon the Barrier forts. near Can
ton QS56), which he preached and car
rfed by assault. leading the assailing
column in person. He was slow and
cautious in arriving at conclusions. but
firm and tenacious OF purpose. He has
been called the Stonewall Jackson OF
the navy He often preached to his
crew Sundays and was always DESTROYS
of doing good. He was not man OF
striking personal appearance, but there
was saior-iike heartiness and frank
ness about him that made his company
very desirable.
During the winter of 1851 81 an expe-
dition was planned by Flag Officer Foote
and Gen. L. 8. Grant, In command of
the district Of Cairo against Fort Henry,
situated on the eastern bank of the Ten
nessee river. short distance south of
the line between Kentucky and Tennes-
see. In January the iron slads were
brought down to Cairo and great efforts
were made to prepare them for immedi-
ate service, but only four OF the ironclads
could be made ready as soon as re-
puired.
On the morning OF the I'd of February
the nag officer left Cairo with the armor-
ed vessels Cincinnati. Carondelet, Es-
sex and ST. Louis, and the wooden gun
boats Tyler. Lexington and Conestoga
and In the evening reached the Tennessee
river On the 4th the feet anchored six
miles below Fort Henry The next day.
while accommodating. the Essex received
a shot which passed through the pantry
and the officers quarters and visited the
steeraGe. On the 9TH the flag officer in
spected the officers and crew at quarters,
addressed them and offered a prayer
Heavy rains had been falling and the
river had risen rapidly to an unusual
height. The swift current brought down
an immense quantity OF heavy driftwood
lumber. fences and large trees and 1t re-
aufred all the steam power OF the Caron-
delet (which / commanded). with both
anchors down. and the most strenuous
exertions OF the officers and crew. work
Ing day and night. to prevent the boat
from being dragged down stream.
<
This adversely appeared TO dampen the
ardor of our crew. but when the next
morning they saw large number Of
white objects. which through the fog
looked like polar bears, coming down the
stream. and ascertained that they were
the enemy's torpedoes forced from their
moorings by the powerful current. they
took heart regarding the freshet as provi-
DENTAL and a. a presage Of victory. The
0verf1owfng river, which opposed oui
progress swept away in broad daylight
this hidden peril; for IL the torpedoes
had not been disturbed. or had broken
loose at night while we were showing the
-sriffN0od from our bows some of then