The gunboats at Shiloh
In the river near
Pittsburg Landing, where the
Federal transports lay, were two small gunboats, and what they did during the battle of April 6th makes a separate chapter in the action.
In the early morning they were out of sight, though within sound of the continuous firing.
How the battle was going, however, was evident.
The masses of the blue-clad troops appeared through the trees on the river bank, showing that under the continuous and fierce assaults they were failing back upon the
Landing.
The
Tyler, commanded by
Lieutenant Gwin, and afterward the
Lexington, commanded by
Lieutenant Shirk, which arrived at four o'clock, strove to keep the Confederate army from the
Landing.
After the surrender of
Prentiss,
General Withers set his division in motion to the right toward this point.
Chalmers' and
Jackson's brigades marched into the ravine of
Dill's Branch and into the range of the
Federal gunboats and batteries which silenced
Gage's battery, the only one
Withers had, and played havoc with the
Confederate skirmishers.
All the rest of the afternoon, until nightfall, the river sailors kept up their continuous bombardment, and in connection with the field batteries on the bank checked
General Withers' desperate attempt on the
Landing.
The dauntless brigade of
Chalmers, whose brave Southerners held their ground near the foot of the ravine and maintained the conflict after the battle was ended elsewhere, was swept by the gunboats' fire.
When
Buell's army, that had been hurrying up to
Grant's assistance, reached the battle-field,
Gwin sent a messenger ashore in the evening to
General Nelson, who had just arrived, and asked in what manner he could now be of service.
It was pitch dark; except for the occasional firing of the pickets the armies were resting after the terrific combat.
In reply to
Gwin's inquiry,
General Nelson requested that the gunboats keep on firing during the night, and that every ten minutes an 8-inch shell should be launched in the direction of the
Confederate camp.
With great precision
Gwin followed out this course.
Through the forest the shells shrieked and exploded over the exhausted Confederates, showering branches and limbs upon them where they slept, and tearing great gashes in the earth.
The result was that they got little rest, and rest was necessary.
Slowly a certain demoralization became evident — results that bore fruit in the action that opened on the morrow.
Here we see pictured — in the lower part of the page — the captain's gig and crew near the
Lexington, ready to row their commander out into the stream.
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The Lexington |
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Captain's gig and crew near the Lexington. |
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