“The Union Expedition up the
Tennessee River”
Harper’s Weekly, March 1,
1862
On this page we
illustrate the Welcome of the Union men in Tennessee
and Alabama to the gunboats 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.”
