January 18, 1862: Union gunboats on the Tennessee River

U.S.S. Conestoga

As part of Brigadier General C.F. Smith's feint south, two Union "timberclad" gunboats along with a transport loaded with troops raided up the Tennessee River nearly as far as Fort Henry.

U.S. GUNBOAT CONESTOGA,
Paducah, January 18, 1862.

SIR: The Lexington and this vessel have returned this afternoon from a cruise on the Tennessee River. We have been for the past three days carrying out the wishes and instructions of General Smith.

On the 16th we proceeded up the river, accompanied by the transport steamer Wilson, having on board a force of 500 men, infantry and artillery, under command of Major [I. C.] Elston, and anchored for the night near where the Tennessee line strikes the right bank of the river. A few miles above Paducah the Lexington struck a rock and lay upon it over an hour, but was not apparently much injured.

In the morning (yesterday) we proceeded up to near Fort Henry, the transport remaining a little below, and shelled the river bank at a point where all informants have uniformly reported a masked battery of two rifled guns, but we did not succeed in drawing its fire, although we approached to abreast the place. We also fired a few shells at Fort Henry, 2 miles, too distant for effect. having complied with General Smith's wish in feigning an attack at early morn with the whole force in view, we dropped below to Aurora, where the troops disembarked and marched for Murray. The transport returned downstream, while the two gunboats again returned to the neighborhood of Fort Henry and remained overnight at anchor about 3 miles by water below the fort. The rebels made numbers of signals in the evening. In the morning we left there, coming directly down. A charge of slugs was fired yesterday at a group of officers, and Mr. Hamilton, gunner, was slightly wounded in the neck.

There was a coal barge lying at a landing some 3 miles below Fort Henry on the Kentucky side, evidently taken there to freight a quantity of wood thrown down from the banks in readiness, and the wood could only have been intended for use at the fort. There is no other market for it there, and no other possible reason could exist for loading it in boats. I therefore seized the barge, loaded the wood in, and brought it down. These vessels will use the wood. Their barge or flat is a very fine one and might be of service at Cairo. I also cut adrift a small wood boat at the same landing to prevent its use in transporting supplies to the rebels.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

S.L. PHELPS, Lieutenant, Commanding, U. S. Navy.

Flag-Officer A. H. FOOTE, U. S. Navy,
Commanding Naval Forces, Western Rivers.

U.S.S. Lexington

Phelp's raid revealed that the Tennessee River was more or less undefended below Fort Henry. U.S. Grant and A.H. Foote began to think about converting the raid into a full on offensive movement against Fort Henry.