Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War Part 33

Answer. To the best of my knowledge it is.

Question. What force have you here at Mound City now?

Answer. I have two gunboats, 85 marines, 100 mechanics, who have been armed and drilled, one company of the invalid corps, and a detachment of convalescents from the hospital. Any other forces that may be here are merely temporary.

Question. What force have you at Cairo?

Answer. Seventy-odd marines. But those we have only to protect the wharf boat and the inspection boat, which have on board provisions, ship chandlery, &c. Admiral Porter has ordered me to move them up to this point whenever I can do so without detriment to the public service. I understand that there is a permanent garrison at Cairo of between 300 and 400 men. When General Brayman was compelled to re-enforce Columbus, he was compelled to take away from there all except about 150 men.

Captain James W. Shirk, United States navy, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the navy, and where are you stationed at this time?

Answer. I am a lieutenant commander, and commandant of the United States gunboat Tusc.u.mbia, and the 7th district of the Mississippi squadron, which extends from the headwaters of the Tennessee river to Cairo.

Question. How long have you been in service in the west?

Answer. I have been attached to this squadron since the 6th of September, 1862.

Question. You are acquainted with the immense amount of public property at Mound City and Cairo?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Do you consider that there is a permanent force here, both naval and military, large enough for its protection?

Answer. I do not consider that there has been force enough here heretofore.

Question. What, in your judgment, would be a force sufficient to render that protection and security which the place ought to have?

Answer. I should think it would take a couple of gunboats, and at least two full regiments. The great danger to be apprehended here is from fire.

Question. Will you now state what services the navy has rendered in the late raids in this region of country?

Answer. I will state in regard to my own division. I returned to Paducah, from a trip up the Tennessee river, on the 25th of March, at noon. I immediately called upon Colonel Hicks, the commandant of that post, as was my custom, to hear what news he had. He informed me that the rebels had taken Union City the day before, and that he expected an attack there that night. As I had just come down from the southern part of Tennessee, and had heard nothing of Forrest there, and as I had been told so many times before without cause that the rebels were threatening to attack Paducah, I did not put much confidence in the report; at the same time, I did not wish to leave the place unprotected by gunboats, and I accordingly left the Peosta and the Pawpaw at that place, while I came down to Cairo to communicate with Captain Pennock and the authorities here, in order to find out whether or not there was any truth in the report. I left Paducah about one o'clock and arrived here about dark. Shortly after I arrived here the telegraphic operator at Metropolis telegraphed down that Paducah was in flames. Captain Pennock and I went down to Cairo to see Generals Brayman and Veatch. General Veatch ordered a regiment of his troops up to Paducah to re-enforce Colonel Hicks, and I immediately started up in the despatch boat Volunteer with Captain Odlin, General Brayman's a.s.sistant adjutant general. On our way up we destroyed several ferryboats and skiffs, in order to prevent the rebels crossing the river. We arrived at Paducah about daylight on the 26th of March. The enemy was in force about two miles and a half from town. It was reported to me by my subordinate officers that the enemy had attacked the place about three o'clock in the evening of the day before; that the fort had been bravely defended and preserved by the gallantry of Colonel Hicks and his small garrison, a.s.sisted very materially by the two gunboats which I had left there; that Forrest had occupied the town; that about ten o'clock that night he had been driven out by the fire of the Peosta, she having gone up and sh.e.l.led the town for that purpose. I placed myself in communication with Colonel Hicks on the morning of the 26th, and found that he was short of ammunition, as were also the gunboats. I immediately telegraphed to Captain Pennock to send up a full supply of ammunition for the two gunboats, and 30,000 rounds of Enfield cartridges for Colonel Hicks. The supplies were sent up by him immediately, and reached us that evening.

In the afternoon, about three o'clock, Colonel Hicks sent me a message that the enemy were forming in line of battle at the head of Jersey street, and requested me to open upon them with sh.e.l.l. I fired sh.e.l.l in that direction, and about four o'clock the enemy left in the direction of Mayfield. The captains of the Peosta and the Pawpaw both informed me that the day before the rebels took advantage of the presence of women there, behind whom they covered themselves, and fired at the officers and men on the gunboats. The women came running down towards the fort, and the rebels got behind them and fired at our people on the boats.

Question. And the boats could not fire upon the rebels without killing the women?

Answer. No, sir. And the rebels also took advantage of a flag of truce, while it was flying, to enter the town and plant their batteries there, and to get into brick houses on the levee, from which to fire on the gunboats, while the flag of truce was flying at the fort. I returned that night at midnight to Cairo, and a.s.sisted Captain Pennock as much as I could in making preparations to take care of the public property, as I knew that some few stragglers had crossed the Ohio above, and we were fearful they would come down and burn the public property here. Again, on the 12th of this month, I was at Paducah. The rebels were reported in force all around the town. I telegraphed to Captain Pennock, giving him that information, and also that in my opinion Colonel Hicks ought to be re-enforced. Another regiment was immediately sent up by General Brayman, and Lieutenant Commander Fitch, commanding the 8th district of the Mississippi squadron, by direction of Captain Pennock, sent four of his gunboats to report to me for duty. I made disposition of four gunboats, each with ten marines on board, to patrol between Paducah and Mound City. The enemy hovered around us until about noon of the 14th, when they made a dash upon the town, sending in a flag of truce to Colonel Hicks, giving him one hour to remove the women and children from the town. I immediately ordered all the transports to the Illinois sh.o.r.e, and took the women and children over there. When the hour was up I was informed that the rebels were in Jersey, a suburb of the town, and Colonel Hicks wished me to go up there and sh.e.l.l them. I did so, with two gunboats, carrying long-range rifled guns, firing about 120 rounds of sh.e.l.l, which fell in among them. The rebels retired, and encamped from three to six miles out of town that night. When the flag of truce was sent in to the fort, squads of rebel cavalry came into town and stole all the government horses there, and also a great many belonging to private citizens.

Question. Under the flag of truce?

Answer. Yes, sir; as the flag of truce came in and went to the fort they came into the town.

Question. Is not that a direct and utter violation of the rules of warfare?

Answer. It is a direct violation of the flag of truce. I have had three or four boats up the Tennessee river all the time. There are three up there now, one having come out the day before yesterday. There were two to have started this morning at daylight, and I received a despatch this forenoon, saying that the enemy were reported to be crossing the Tennessee river at Birmingham and above, in force, from the west to the east side. I immediately telegraphed to Paducah and had two heavy gunboats go up to ascertain the truth of the report. I do not credit the story, but I have done all I possibly could do, with the limited number of boats at my command.

Question. How long have you been in the navy?

Answer. Fifteen years.

Question. You are acquainted with the administration of Captain Pennock, of the navy, here?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What do you say of it?

Answer. I do not think any one could have done more than Captain Pennock has done, with the means at his command.

Question. Why is it that we do not hear more of the transactions of the gunboats out here, while we hear so much of what the army does?

Answer. One reason is that there is a general order by Admiral Porter, prohibiting any newspaper reporter from going on board any vessel in the Mississippi squadron.

Question. Is there a cordial understanding and co-operation between the navy here and the military forces under General Brayman?

Answer. I think there is to a very great degree. I never saw more cordiality existing between officers of the different services. I would like to say further, that during this late raid I convoyed General Veatch's division up the Tennessee river. It was ordered up there by General Sherman to land at or near Savannah, and go out to Purdy and the Hatchie, in that way intending to catch Forrest. I afterwards sent up another despatch of the same purport, from General Sherman to General Veatch, which reached him at the landing near Purdy. I sent up a third despatch to him, which was brought here by General Corse from General Sherman. That despatch never reached General Veatch for the reason that he had come back from Purdy, gone on up the Tennessee and disembarked his troops at Waterloo, Alabama, and was out of reach of my gunboats.

Captain Smith, commanding the Peosta, broke up a rebel recruiting office at Brooklyn, Illinois, a week ago last Sunday. The recruiting office was on board a trading vessel. He destroyed the boat, but saved seven new rebel uniforms that were on it. He could not discover the recruiting agent there, there being so many secesh sympathizers around there.

Question. In your opinion, has General Brayman acted with vigilance and activity, and done all he could with the forces intrusted to him, during these raids?

Answer. So far as I know, he has done all he could do.

CAIRO, ILLINOIS, _April 24, 1864_.

Major General Steven A. Hurlbut, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the army?

Answer. I am a major general of volunteers, commanding the 16th army corps.

Question. Where have you been stationed?

Answer. I have been stationed at Memphis for the last sixteen months.

Question. How long have you been stationed along the river?