Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 3.
Frank Moore, Ed.

sir: I have to inform you that this morning I got under way with this vessel, in company with the Lexington, at the request of Colonel Wagner, and proceeded down the river to cover [363] an advance of troops from Norfolk in that direction. After passing considerably below the forces on shore, the Lexington turned back to be more near them. I proceeded further down to examine the head of Island No.2 for a reported battery, but failed to find it. I, however, discovered the enemy in force on the Missouri side, at Lucas' Bend, and at once proceeded down and opened fire upon their artillery and cavalry. The enemy had about sixteen pieces of field-artillery and, it is believed, one heavy piece in battery. Several of their pieces were rifled cannon, and ranged to and beyond this vessel, striking all about her. In a short time Commander Stembel, hearing our guns, came down with the Lexington, and joined in the fight. The rebels moved their batteries from point to point, while we availed ourselves of our motive power to move up stream as the enemy would attempt to move up back from the banks, and bring their several batteries out at different places to fire a few rounds and gallop to some other point.

Their force of cavalry was considerable, and I fired several shells among them with great apparent effect.

The shell and shot of both our vessels were lodged among their batteries. Both the Lexington and this vessel retired out of range for a short time, about one o'clock, hoping to lead the enemy up higher, where our land forces were. Two steamers of the enemy had come up from Columbus--one, the gunboat Yankee, which also opened fire upon us; but I found our guns could not reach them where they were below the batteries. At about two o'clock I again dropped down with this vessel, determined to try a shot again at the rebel gunboat. The first shot fired must have struck her on the ricochet, as it touched the water close alongside, and she at once started down stream. The Lexington again came up, and it is believed succeeded in landing an eight-inch shell in the Yankee's wheel-house and side, where it burst. At all events, the vessel appeared to be greatly injured, and went off with but one engine working. She retired under the batteries at Columbus, where the other one had previously gone. Our boats again opened fire upon the enemy's batteries, and before five o'clock we had silenced them entirely, driven their force out of reach, and without injury to ourselves. I am satisfied we did great damage to the enemy.

While retiring this boat was fired upon with musketry by an enemy concealed in a thicket and small out-house, and one man (Nelson Castle, quartermaster) was shot through the arm and in the forehead. I think he will recover, but an operation will be required upon the skull.

I at once opened with canister upon the thicket, and quickly cleared it of the rebels. Some of them were shot by our small-arms men.

I cannot speak too highly of the spirit and will of the crew, scarcely one of whom had been under fire before.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: I have the honor to submit the following report, viz.: On Sunday night, the 8th instant, at half-past 11, I received an order from General Grant, through his aide-de-camp, Captain Hillyer, to proceed the next morning at daylight down the Mississippi River with this vessel to the town of Norfolk, Missouri, eight miles below Cairo, to afford protection to Col. Wagner, chief of artillery, who would move in that direction at the same time with a column against the enemy, who were said to be in force at that place.

I did so, and remained in the vicinity of the colonel's camp that day and night, (having in the mean time been joined by the United States gunboat Conestoga,) without discovering the enemy, although intelligence of their moving in his direction was received by the colonel, and by him communicated to me.

On the morning of the 9th, Colonel Wagner informed me by note that he would advance three miles with his command, and requested me to follow with the gunboats, which I did, dropping down some distance below the troops, where I had a good view down the river, but saw nothing worthy of notice. I then returned, and the Conestoga continued dropping down until she arrived at “Lucas' Bend,” the point in the river above Columbus, where (Columbus) I had, the Sunday previous, when on a reconnoitring expedition with Colonel Wagner, discovered two formidable batteries planted on the bluffs above the town, when she fired her stern gun at a large body of rebel cavalry, drawn up on the banks, as I was subsequently informed by Lieutenant Commanding S. L. Phelps.

I immediately ran down to the Conestoga, and, on my arrival in her vicinity, the batteries in the bend opened upon us; we engaged them, and soon silenced them--one of which, composed of flying rifled artillery, however, merely changed position higher up the river, and opened again. This it did several times, and each time we silenced it, until it finally retreated down the river, and I think embarked on board a steamer which came from the direction of Columbus at the commencement of the engagement, under convoy of what is supposed to be the rebel gunboat Yankee; both boats, flying the rebel colors, kept well in under the batteries on the bluff above the latter place.

The Lexington and Conestoga then ran down the bend, throwing a shell occasionally at the points from which they had been fired upon [364] previously without eliciting a reply, until they reached a point which I estimated to be about two and a half miles distant from the Yankee. I then directed one of the eight-inch guns of the Lexington, charged with a fifteen-second fuzed shell, to be trained upon her, giving the gun its greatest possible elevation by removing the quoin, &c., and fired. I had the satisfaction of seeing the shell explode in her starboard wheel-house, careening her smoke-stack, and otherwise crippling her, when both rebel steamers retreated toward Columbus, the batteries on the bluff alone preventing their capture.

The gunboats then returned up the river, and were several times fired upon from the Missouri and once from the Kentucky shore with musketry, shells, and canister. There certainly must have been a large force opposed to us, and from the accurate firing of the gunboats the enemy's loss was undoubtedly very heavy. The only casualty on our part was one man seriously wounded on board the Conestoga by a musket ball from the Missouri shore.

I cannot here close this report without expressing to you my high appreciation of the manner in which the officers and men of both the gunboats deported themselves on this occasion; their conduct was cool and collected, and more like that of veterans than green hands, as most of them are. Lieutenant Commanding Phelps deserves particular notice for his masterly management of the Conestoga, and his effective fire, principally from his stern gun, which confirmed my previously entertained opinion, that the three gunboats now in service on these waters should each, to make them doubly useful, have a stern gun. I have, therefore, in your absence, taken the responsibility of transporting one of the thirty-two-pounders, composing a part of the battery of this vessel, from forward aft, thereby, I think, increasing her efficiency, which, I hope, will meet your approbation.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,