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BRIGADIER-GENERAL
FOSTER.—[SEE PAGE 135.]
CAPTAIN W. D. PORTER, OF
THE "ESSEX."—[SKETCHED BY MR. BILL D. TRAVIS.]
THE UNION EXPEDITION UP
THE TENNESSEE RIVER.
ON this page we
illustrate the
WELCOME of the
Union men
in Tennessee
and Alabama to the gun-boats which
ascended the
Tennessee River, after the
fight at Fort
Henry. The dispatch
to the Associated
Press said:
After the
capture of Fort
Henry, the
Lexington, Conestoga,
and
Tyler gave chase to the rebel steamer
Dunbar, and on reaching the
Memphis and Louisville Railroad
bridge set fire to a portion of it, and captured some stores,
etc. They then passed on in chase of the
Dunbar, but did
not overtake her. It is supposed that she escaped by running
up some creek.
During the night the gun-boats went to Florence, Alabama, the head of
navigation, and two hundred and fifty
miles from
Paducah. Every where along the river they
were received with astonishing welcome by numerous Union
families in Southern Tennessee and Northern Alabama,
and
at the towns along the river
the old flag was looked
upon as a redeemer, and hailed with loud shouts of joy.
—The people of Florence are so delighted at finding the
Stars and Stripes once more giving protection to them that
they were prepared to give a grand ball to the officers of
the gun-boats, but the latter could not remain to accept
their courtesies.
Wherever our boats landed, and the people became assured that we did not come to
destroy, but to save, they
seemed to have no means too extravagant to express their
delight and joy.
Old men cried like children at the sight of the Stars and
Stripes, and invited the officers and men of the gun-boats
to their houses, and told them all they had was at their disposal.
Large numbers were anxious to enlist under the old flag, and the
Tyler brought down two
hundred and fifty men to fill up the gun-boats' crews.
Our officers were assured that if they would wait a few
days whole regiments could be raised, and if the Government
would give them arms to defend themselves they could bring Tennessee back into
the Union in a few months.
They said that when the secession ordinance was passed
armed men stood at the polls, and every thing went as certain politicians said.
At Savannah, Eastport, and Florence the officers and men
of our gun-boats went ashore without arms, and mingled
freely with the people.
The Union men along the river comprise the wealthy
and best portion of the inhabitants, large numbers of whom have
American
flags.
Not a gun was fired either going or coming.
CAPTAIN PORTER.
WE publish herewith, from a
sketch by Mr. Bill D. Travis,
a portrait of CAPTAIN W. D. PORTER,
of the gun-boat
Essex, who distinguished himself at the battle
of Fort Henry, and was scalded by the explosion
of a boiler onboard the
Essex.
Captain Porter
is a Louisianian by birth. His father was the famous Commodore Porter, of
the
Essex, whose fame shines
brightly in our
naval annals.
In 1823 the son entered the navy
as a boy on board the United
States ship
Franklin, under command of
Commodore Stewart, and received a fine
naval military education, under Commodores Hull,
Chauncey, Patterson, and
Rodgers. He projected
and is the founder of
the present light-house system; was through the whole Mexican
war, where he did noble service; in 1855
was placed
on a retired list by a secret
Navy Board; four years after was
restored to his rank as
commander by President Buchanan; was
then appointed to the command of the United States ship
St.
Marys,
and did important service in
Northern Mexico.
On the outbreak of
the rebellion he was ordered
home from the Pacific; and
though
he had property in
Virginia, which has been
confiscated, and all his family save his youngest daughter were in
the rebel
cause, still he proved faithful to the noble (Next
Page)
UNION SOUTHERN MEN WELCOMING
OUR GUN-BOATS IN
ALABAMA.
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