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Author: acmgenealogy
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In the following letter Chaplain Samuel Sawyer of the 47th Indiana Infantry describes the
battle with Confederate gunboats at Riddle's Point on March 17, 1862 during the
campaign for Island No. 10. The 47th Indiana was one of the units in the 1st Brigade 3rd
Division Army of the Mississippi. Sawyer enlisted with the 47th Indiana on October 21,
1861 and mustered into service on December 13, 1861. He remained in the regiment until
his resignation on October 9, 1864. The letter originally appeared in the Indianapolis
Daily Journal on March 28, 1862 page 2 columns 4 and 5.
Letter from Gen. Pope's Army.
The Battle with the Rebel Gunboats.
Fourteen Miles South of New Madrid,
Missouri, March 21st, 1862.
Ed. Journal: In my last letter I gave you an account of our taking Fort Thompson, at New
Madrid. As the river had been blockaded at Point Pleasant, eight miles from the fort, we
were puzzled to find out in which direction the rebels had fled. From the testimony of
one of the Tennessee prisoners, and from all the circumstances, we became satisfied that
they had gone up the river and effected a landing not far from No. 10, and with their
fugitive companions in arms were making special haste to get below us on the way to Fort
Pillow or Memphis. Word reached us on Sunday that a part of their force was endeavoring
to land on the western bank of the Mississippi, and at nine o'clock, P. M., General.
Palmer's Division, consisting of the 43rd, 46th, 34th and 47th regiments, struck
tents, and with a guide marched all night through the rain and mud. Daylight found the
column at Point Pleasant, within the destructive range of two batteries of 32-pounders of
the enemy. General Slack!
filed the column to the right, and, wading through a desperate swamp, the men moved on
to a place of safety. Resting awhile for their tents and camp equipage to overtake them,
the men were just beginning to feel comfortable, when General Palmer ordered them forward
to our present encampment. The 47th Indiana regiment was detailed to bring one of the
cannon by hand from the battery above, and plant and defend it, from their rifle pits,
against the rebel gunboats which were stalking up and down the river at all hours, night
and day. The rifle pits were noiselessly dug, by men who had marched all the night
before, the cannon placed, and with solicitude, but with undaunted courage, the regiment
awaited the issues of the day. Colonel Robinson was in command. As the day dawned
hundreds of tents could be seen near Tiptonville, on the Tennessee side of the river, and
two gunboats, afterwards increased to seven, hove in sight, and opened a most fearful fire
upon our lone canno!
n and our sheltered men.
Gen. Palmer, Gen Slack, and Aid-de-Camp Daily, drew near to the regiment, but the 32 and
64 pound shot and shell literally rained around them. They protected themselves as well
as they could by the large sycamores which were near, dodging the balls as they flew right
and left around them. Lieut. Purviance, of Huntington, was nearly buried in his rifle
pit, by the bursting of a shell. At one time during the cannonading the gunboats adopted
a plan, apparently, of landing their men to capture our guns. They moved up very near the
shore, when Col. Robinson gave command to the men to fire. The 47th rose up in their
rifle-pits, and taking steady aim, their bullets flew amongst the gunners, who fell in
every direction. The roar of the musketry came like a thunder-clap upon the rebels, and
one of the boats, as she turned her course, received a shot from our cannon in the stern
which sent her rolling down the river double quick, in a disabled condition. The rest of
the gunboat!
s then renewed the fire with redoubled fury. From the shore their officers could be
heard distinctly berating the gunners as cowards for not standing to their posts.
Exasperated by these taunts, they would pour their terrific fire upon our solitary gun,
until they drew near enough to test the virtue of our good Enfield rifles-and as another
wheeled back into the middle of the channel, our gunner sent a shot which made a new port
hole in her side, and from the smoke which rose up, left the impression that the boiler
had been reached. Thus a second boat was laid aside. Three of the others continued the
firing. One of them dropped down stream, took the range of our rifle pits, and rolled her
shot and shell right over our men. Some of the men thought they had heard cannonading
before, but they acknowledge with one accord that they never heard anything to compare
with this. Some one, not belonging to our regiment, proposed that we should spike our
cannon and abandon the g!
round. "Never, be jabers," said our Irish gunner. Colonel Robinson t
old the men they must stand by the gun and never surrender.
Col. Slack almost feared, at one moment, that some of the men would lose their presence of
mind and run away from the place of danger, and resolved if they did to rally them and
lead them back in the face of the enemy's fire. But the volunteers of Indiana have
gone in for victory, and not for defeat. Believing in the justness of their cause, and
the favorable providence of God, they know no such words as fail. This was the feeling
of the 47th Regiment during the entire contest. Every gunboat disabled by our solitary
but well aimed gun augmented the enthusiasm of the men, and nerved them to stand their
ground like heroes. Frequent firing heated our cannon, again and again, but our cannonier
was cool and self-possessed, and often taking deliberate aim, he hurled his balls with
crushing effect upon the enemy until three, if not four, of the gunboats which had engaged
us were disabled, and giving up the contest they went down the river, out of our range.
The enemy had fir!
ed over seven hundred times with their shot and shell, poured from five of their
gunboats, and we had returned their fire over one hundred and twenty times. The single
cannon which Colonel Slack had planted, amid the cheers of his men, upon Fort Thompson,
kept at bay, and, finally, "whipped out" seven of the enemy's gunboats.
The fact stands out almost unparalleled in the history of warfare. It was a splendid
day's work, courageously and brilliantly executed. The commanding officers feel proud
of the unflinching bravery of their men.
As an instance of cool self-possession and daring, I may mention that, during the heat of
the battle, our color bearer, Sergeant H. Lindsey, of Wabash county, fearing that the
beautiful banner, which the ladies of Huntington presented to Captain Shearer's
company, might be shot down, and fall into the river, removed if from the battery and
planted it in the rear of the rifle pits, where it waved proudly throughout the day.
I might add other interesting incidents, for the same spirit ran through the ranks.
General Palmer complimented the heroic courage of the men, and feels that he can confide
in them in any future engagement.
While I am writing, the cannon are still thundering at Island No. 10.
Yours, very truly, Samuel Sawyer,
Chaplain 47th Reg. Ind. Vols.
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