February 3, 1862: Foote On His Way to Fort Henry-- Part 1

FEBRUARY 3RD, 1862:  Having left his headquarters at Cairo, Illinois,  on 2 February en route to Fort Henry, Flag Officer Foote ordered the USS Essex and St. Louis to proceed from Paducah to Pine Bluff, 65 miles up the Tennessee River, "for the purpose of protecting the landing of the troops on their arrival at that point."

The Army commanders had recognized for some time that the mobility and firepower of the gunboats was vital in support of land forces operating along the rivers.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Grant Makes A Move on the Rivers

SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1861:  Gunboats USS Tyler, Commander J. Rodgers, and USS Lexington, Commander Stembel, spearheaded operations by which General Grant, in his first move after taking command at Cairo, seized strategic Pudacah and Smithland, Kentucky, at the mouth of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.

Captain Foote, newly designated commander in the west, participated in the operation.

This initial use of strength afloat by Grant, aimed at countering a Confederate move into the state, helped preserve Kentucky for the Union, and foreshadowed the general's great reliance on naval mobility and support throughout the campaigns that divided the Confederacy and eventually placed the entire Mississippi under Union control.

--Old B-Runner

155 Years Ago: Operations in Western Waters

AUGUST 22, 1861:  Commander J. Rodgers reported that six hundred Confederate troops occupying Commerce, Missouri, withdrew at the approach of the Union gunboats.  This action prevented them from constructing batteries at a location there that would have effectively impeded river navigation.

**  The USS Lexington, Commander Stembel, seized the steamer W.B. Terry at Paducah, Kentucky, for trading with the Confederates.

**  The steamer Samuel Orr was seized by Confederates at Paducah, Kentucky, and taken up the Tennessee River.

Must Have Been a Lot of Action Around Paducah.  --Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago-- April 13th-14th, 1864: Looking for the Squib

APRIL 13TH-14TH, 1864: A joint Army-Navy expedition advanced up the Nansemond River, Virginia, to capture Confederate troops and destroy the torpedo boat Squib which had recently attacked the USS Minnesota and was rumored to be in the area. //// From prisoners, they learned that the Squib had departed from Smithfield to Richmond already. //// APRIL 14TH: Small steamers of the Mississippi Squadron continued to engage Confederate activity along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. This date, Confederates entered Paducah, Kentucky. They also appeared by Columbus, Kentucky on the 13th. --Old B-Runner