ST. LOUIS, Feb. 12.
A special to the Republican, dated Fort Henry, the 11th, says gun boats Conestoga, Tyler and Lexington returned form the upper Tennessee last night. The boats went as high up as Florence, Ala., and were received with the wildest joy by the people along the river; old men cried like children at the sight of the stars and stripes, and invited officers and men into their house and told them all they had was at their disposal. Large numbers were anxious to enlist under the old flag, and the Tyler brought down 250 to fill up the gun boat crews. Our officers were assured if they would wait a few days, whole regiments could be raised, and if the Government would give them arms to defend themselves, they could bring Tennessee back to the Union in a few months. They said when the secession ordinance was passed, armed men stood at the polls and everything went as certain politicians said. At Savannah, Clifton, Eastport, and Florence, officers and men of our boats went ashore without arms and mingled freely with the people. The Union men along the river comprise the wealthiest and best portion of the inhabitants, large numbers of whom have American flags. Not a gun was fired either going or coming. The rebel gun boats Eastport, Sallie Ward and Mussel, only partially finished, were captured and are here. The Eastport has 25,000 feet of lumber on board, and the Ward had a quantity of iron plating. The steamers Sam. Kirkman, Linn Boyd, Julia Smith, Sam Orr, Appleton and Bell were burned by the rebels to prevent them from falling into our hands.
The railroad bridge at Florence was not destroyed. A quantity of papers were captured on the Eastport, belonging to Lieut. Brown, late of the Federal navy: among them were letters from Lt. Maury, stating that submarine batteries could not be successfully used in the rapid streams of the West.
150 [hds] of tobacco and a quantity of other freight will be brought down from the mouth of the Sanday river to-morrow.
A daily line of packets has been established between Fort Henry and Cairo.
Nothing during the war has been so prostrating to the rebels as the late victory and the gun boat expedition above named.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 13, 1862, p. 1
A special to the Republican, dated Fort Henry, the 11th, says gun boats Conestoga, Tyler and Lexington returned form the upper Tennessee last night. The boats went as high up as Florence, Ala., and were received with the wildest joy by the people along the river; old men cried like children at the sight of the stars and stripes, and invited officers and men into their house and told them all they had was at their disposal. Large numbers were anxious to enlist under the old flag, and the Tyler brought down 250 to fill up the gun boat crews. Our officers were assured if they would wait a few days, whole regiments could be raised, and if the Government would give them arms to defend themselves, they could bring Tennessee back to the Union in a few months. They said when the secession ordinance was passed, armed men stood at the polls and everything went as certain politicians said. At Savannah, Clifton, Eastport, and Florence, officers and men of our boats went ashore without arms and mingled freely with the people. The Union men along the river comprise the wealthiest and best portion of the inhabitants, large numbers of whom have American flags. Not a gun was fired either going or coming. The rebel gun boats Eastport, Sallie Ward and Mussel, only partially finished, were captured and are here. The Eastport has 25,000 feet of lumber on board, and the Ward had a quantity of iron plating. The steamers Sam. Kirkman, Linn Boyd, Julia Smith, Sam Orr, Appleton and Bell were burned by the rebels to prevent them from falling into our hands.
The railroad bridge at Florence was not destroyed. A quantity of papers were captured on the Eastport, belonging to Lieut. Brown, late of the Federal navy: among them were letters from Lt. Maury, stating that submarine batteries could not be successfully used in the rapid streams of the West.
150 [hds] of tobacco and a quantity of other freight will be brought down from the mouth of the Sanday river to-morrow.
A daily line of packets has been established between Fort Henry and Cairo.
Nothing during the war has been so prostrating to the rebels as the late victory and the gun boat expedition above named.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 13, 1862, p. 1
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