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Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, General Halleck in command-commanding the district of Cairo-movement on Fort Henry- capture of Fort Henry (search)
rt Henry, and that on the Cumberland was Fort Donelson. At these points the two rivers approached within eleven miles of each other. The lines of rifle pits at each place extended back from the water at least two miles, so that the garrisons were in reality only seven miles apart. These positions were of immense importance to the enemy; and of course correspondingly important for us to possess ourselves of. With Fort Henry in our hands we had a navigable stream open to us up to Muscle Shoals, in Alabama. The Memphis and Charleston Railroad strikes the Tennessee at Eastport, Mississippi, and follows close to the banks of the river up to the shoals. This road, of vast importance to the enemy, would cease to be of use to them for through traffic the moment Fort Henry became ours. Fort Donelson was the gate to Nashville — a place of great military and political importance-and to a rich country extending far east in Kentucky. These two points in our possession, the enemy would nece
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Condition of the Army-rebuilding the Railroad- General Burnside's situation-orders for battle-plans for the attack-hooker's position- Sherman's movements (search)
e River at Eastport, Mississippi. Knowing the difficulty Sherman would have to supply himself from Memphis, I had previously ordered supplies sent from St. Louis on small steamers, to be convoyed by the navy, to meet him at Eastport. These he got. I now ordered him to discontinue his work of repairing roads and to move on with his whole force to Stevenson, Alabama, without delay. This order was borne to Sherman by a messenger, who paddled down the Tennessee in a canoe and floated over Muscle Shoals; it was delivered at Iuka on the 27th. In this Sherman was notified that the rebels were moving a force towards Cleveland, East Tennessee, and might be going to Nashville, in which event his troops were in the best position to beat them there. Sherman, with his characteristic promptness, abandoned the work he was engaged upon and pushed on at once. On the 1st of November he crossed the Tennessee at Eastport, and that day was in Florence, Alabama, with the head of column, while his tro
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, The campaign in Georgia-Sherman's March to the sea-war anecdotes-the March on Savannah- investment of Savannah-capture of Savannah (search)
would have to cross, and by, in every way, obstructing the roads to their front. But it was hard to convince the people of the propriety of destroying supplies which were so much needed by themselves, and each one hoped that his own possessions might escape. Hood soon started north, and went into camp near Decatur, Alabama, where he remained until the 29th of October, but without making an attack on the garrison of that place. The Tennessee River was patrolled by gunboats, from Muscle Shoals east; and, also, below the second shoals out to the Ohio River. These, with the troops that might be concentrated from the garrisons along the river at any point where Hood might choose to attempt to cross, made it impossible for him to cross the Tennessee at any place where it was navigable. But Muscle Shoals is not navigable, and below them again is another shoal which also obstructs navigation. Hood therefore moved down to a point nearly opposite Florence, Alabama, crossed over and
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, The battle of Franklin-the battle of Nashville (search)
The battle of Franklin-the battle of Nashville As we have seen, Hood succeeded in crossing the Tennessee River between Muscle Shoals and the lower shoals at the end of October, 1864. Thomas sent Schofield with the 4th and 23d corps, together with three brigades of Wilson's cavalry to Pulaski to watch him. On the 17th of November Hood started and moved in such a manner as to avoid Schofield, thereby turning his position. Hood had with him three infantry corps, commanded respectively by Stephen D. Lee, [Alexander P.] Stewart and [B. Franklin] Cheatham. These, with his cavalry, numbered about forty-five thousand men. Schofield had, of all arms, about thirty thousand. Thomas's orders were, therefore, for Schofield to watch the movements of the enemy, but not to fight a battle if he could avoid it; but to fall back in case of an advance on Nashville, and to fight the enemy, as he fell back, so as to retard the enemy's movements until he could be reinforced by Thomas himself. As
Robert Underwood Johnson, Clarence Clough Buell, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Volume 3., chapter 9.97 (search)
River at Eastport, Mississippi. Knowing the difficulty Sherman would have to supply himself from Memphis, I had previously ordered supplies sent from St. Louis on small steamers, to be convoyed by the navy, to meet him at Eastport. These he got. I now ordered him to discontinue his work of repairing roads, and to move on with his whole force to Stevenson, Alabama, without delay. This order was borne to Sherman by a messenger who paddled down the Tennessee in a canoe, and floated over Muscle Shoals; it was delivered at Iuka on the 27th. In this Sherman was notified that the rebels were moving a force toward Cleveland, east Tennessee, and might be going to Nashville, in which event his troops were in the best position to beat them there. Sherman, with his characteristic promptness, abandoned the work he was engaged upon and pushed on at once. On the 1st of November he crossed the Tennessee at Eastport, and that day was in Florence, Alabama, with the head of column, while his troo
Admiral David D. Porter, The Naval History of the Civil War., Chapter 55: operations of the Mississippi Squadron in the latter part of 1864 and in 1865. (search)
ourteen thousand Confederates killed, wounded, and prisoners, including nineteen general officers, seventy guns captured, over three thousand stand of arms taken, twenty ammunition wagons, and a great quantity of ammunition. The only reason that prevented the capture of the whole Confederate army was the wretched condition of the roads, which prevented any rapid pursuit. The Confederates were also greatly aided by the water falling in the river, preventing the gun-boats from reaching Muscle Shoals, the point were Hood crossed the Tennessee. All along the river, where the vessels of the Navy could penetrate, the destruction of pontoons and ferry flats was immense, so that the main body of the Confederate Army was forced to push on to the Shoals before they could cross the Tennessee. This destruction extended from twelve miles below Florence for a distance of one hundred and seventy-five miles, and enabled the Federal troops to cut off large portions of Hood's demoralized army, an
William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs of General William T. Sherman ., volume 1, chapter 15 (search)
rt, till you meet further orders from me. U. S. Grant. The bearer of this message was Corporal Pike, who described to me, in his peculiar way, that General Crook had sent him in a canoe; that he had paddled down the Tennessee River, over Muscle Shoals, was fired at all the way by guerrillas, but on reaching Tuscumbia he had providentially found it in possession of our troops. He had reported to General Blair, who sent him on to me at Iuka. This Pike proved to be a singular character; histh the Fourth Division, to cross the Tennessee (by means of the gunboats and scow) as rapidly as possible at Eastport, and push forward to Florence, which he did; and the same day a messenger from General Grant floated down the Tennessee over Muscle Shoals, landed at Tuscumbia, and was sent to me at Iuka. He bore a short message from the general to this effect: Drop all work on the railroad east of Bear Creek; push your command toward Bridgeport till you meet orders; etc. Instantly the order w
William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs of General William T. Sherman ., volume 2, chapter 21 (search)
Nashville, and that a good deal of further delay might reasonably be counted on. I also rested with much confidence on the fact that the Tennessee River below Muscle Shoals was strongly patrolled by gunboats, and that the reach of the river above Muscle Shoals, from Decatur as high up as our railroad at Bridgeport, was also guardeMuscle Shoals, from Decatur as high up as our railroad at Bridgeport, was also guarded by gunboats, so that Hood, to cross over, would be compelled to select a point inaccessible to these gunboats. He actually did choose such a place, at the old railroad-piers, four miles above Florence, Alabama, which is below Muscle Shoals and above Colbert Shoals. On the 31st of October Forrest made his appearance on the TenMuscle Shoals and above Colbert Shoals. On the 31st of October Forrest made his appearance on the Tennessee River opposite Johnsonville (whence a new railroad led to Nashville), and with his cavalry and field-pieces actually crippled and captured two gunboats with five of our transports, a feat of arms which, I confess, excited my admiration. There is no doubt that the month of October closed to us looking decidedly squally; bu
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 133 (search)
Huntsville Advocate of the eleventh of March contains a letter from Tuscumbia, giving the particulars of what it calls the late raid of the Abolition hell-hounds into North-Alabama. It says: Early on Sunday morning, the twenty-second of February, five Yankee gunboats came up the Tennessee River; they did not land at Tuscumbia Landing, but proceeded on up to Florence. Here two of them landed and destroyed the ferry-boat; the other three went on up to Bain-bridge, at the foot of Muscle Shoals, and destroyed the ferry-boat at that place. The confederate States steamer Dunbar had been lying at Bain-bridge for some time, but had taken advantage of the high water and gone over the shoals, where the gunboats could not follow. About three o'clock the gunboats all went down the river, without making any attempt to land, or showing any warlike disposition, except giving three cannon shot at a party of little boys on this side the the river. Late in the evening, when the exciteme
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 41 (search)
plished, we withdrew, without being followed by the enemy. The enemy, in his own account of the fight, acknowledged a loss of twenty-nine killed, including one Colonel, and one hundred and fifty-nine wounded. My entire loss was less than one-fourth of the above figures. A reconnoissance was made towards Columbia, which caused the enemy to .evacuate that place and destroy all their stores, including thirty days rations for the garrison. We then proceeded to the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals, the only fordable place on the river, where we crossed without difficulty, the enemy reaching the river just after I had crossed. Two pieces of artillery of Wiggin's battery having broken down several times, were finally abandoned on account of our utter inability to bring them further. The officers deserve great credit for carrying them so far in their disabled condition. One of the limbers of White's battery blew up, which caused it also to be abandoned. Two of the pieces were h
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