Civil War Vessel Losses at Johnsonville
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The November 1864 Civil War raid on Johnsonville, Tennessee by Confederate forces under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest resulted in the loss of several U.S. Navy tinclads, a number of steamboats and supply barges, and 33 pieces of artillery. Along with the vessels, it was estimated that General Forrest burned 75,000-120,000 tons of quartermaster's supplies. Perhaps the most significant vessel types lost at the Battle of Johnsonville were the four Union Tinclads (see Table 1). The 140-foot long sternwheeler Undine #55, captured by Confederate forces, was burned near the head of Reynoldsburg. The 156-foot sternwheeler Key West #32 and a possible barge were also burned just north of the town. The Elfin #52, a 155-foot sternwheeler, was burned down to the floor timbers and blown up close to the Key West. The sidewheeler Tawah #29 put its head into the east bank and was burned furthest downstream of these three. The vessel may have also had a barge with it when it burned (Irion and Beard 1993:42-43; Way 1983; Lytle and Holdcamper 1975). Along with the loss of the four Union Navy tinclads, a number of transports and barges were also destroyed as a result of Forrest's raid (Figure 4). Although references differ on the number of troop transports and cargo barges lost at Johnsonville's landing, with references stating either 14 transports and 20 barges, 11 transports and 18 barges, or eight transports and 11 barges, at least eight transports appear to be documented as battle casualties (see Table 1). These include the Anna, a 156-foot sidewheeler; the Arcola, a 156-foot sidewheeler; the Aurora, a 151-foot sternwheeler; the Doan No. 2, a 156-foot sternwheeler; the Duke, a 125-foot sternwheeler; the Goody Friends, a sternwheeler of 197 tons; the J.B. Ford, a sternwheeler of 197 tons; and the Mountaineer, a 214-ton sternwheeler (Irion and Beard 1993:44-45; Way 1983; Lytle and Holdcamper 1975). In addition to the Civil War casualties, other vessels have been documented as lost at Johnsonville such as the Highlander, a sternwheeler which was lost in ice in December 1865, and Derrick Boat No. 9, which was lost at Johnsonville in 1919 (Annual Report 1919:2945; Way 1983:215).
The Loss Event
Captured by Forrest's artillery forces after being disabled downriver from Johnsonville, the Confederates employed the Undine along with land-based artillery in a joint assault against the town. With rebel batteries set at strategic locations along the west bank of the river opposite the town, the Undine was employed to lure the Union tinclads away from Johnsonville and into close range of the batteries. The courts-martial of Lieutenant E. M. King, USN of the late U.S.S. Key West offers an interpretation of the events and final disposition and location of the four tinclads lost during the Confederate raid. Numerous persons were deposed, both from the Army and Navy, and gave their accounts of the action on November 4, 1864. The Undine succeeded in luring the three tinclads, the Tawah, Key West and Elfin, away from Johnsonville by approaching the town and shelling it. Upon the approach of the three Union gunboats, the Undine backed under the protection of the Reynoldsburg battery. But after realizing that six additional gunboats, which had just arrived from Paducah, blocked her escape downriver at the opposite end of Reynoldsburg Island, her Confederate crew set her afire and abandoned the vessel. One witness testified "The Undine ran in shore under the rebel batteries and was set on fire and abandoned" (National Archives 1865a:79). This was corroborated with later testimony: "We saw a steamer on fire right under the batteries, which we took to be the Undine" (National Archives 1865a:92). 
Drawing courtesy of Raise
the Gunboats, Inc. During the salvage of the vessel, the Undine was reported to be "two and a half miles below Johnsonville" (National Archives 1865b:66). Figure 10 illustrates a map created by one of the officers present at the battle showing the position of the Undine and the batteries in relationship to Reynoldsburg Island and Johnsonville on the day of the battle. Differing from these accounts, and indicating that the Undine may have been beached at the head of Reynoldsburg Island, John Morton, the Chief of Artillery of Forrest's Calvary, stated in his biography of Forrest's career that "Captain Gracey set fire to her before escaping with his men to the canebrakes which lined the bank. They lay hidden in the canebrakes all day and at night they crossed on logs and rude rafts" (Morton 1962:251). The Tawah, Elfin and Key West engaged the Confederate forces and took numerous hits. All accounts agree that the Key West was disabled and received a tow from the Tawah. The Union gunboats were run to shore on the right descending bank in front of Johnsonville and burned. In the courts-martial deposition Captain Howland, Assistant Chief Quarter Master of the Johnsonville Depot, testified that the tinclads were at the levee at Johnsonville when they were burned, "perhaps fifty rods above where most of the transports lay" (National Archives 1865a:104). Charles Thompson, Brigadier General in command of the Union forces at Johnsonville, gave corroborating testimony that the tinclads were "close to the right bank above the Railroad" when they were burned (National Archives 1865a:116). The Acting Master of the Paw Paw, one of the Union gunboats below Reynoldsburg Island, confirmed their location. "They returned to Johnsonville - just above the transports. While laying there they continued the engagement until about 3 o'clock - when I saw one of the gunboats on fire which I immediately reported. At about 3:10 I could see the Elfin or Key West on fire. At 3:30 discovered the transports burning" (National Archives 1865a:140). The only seemingly conflicting testimony to these three descriptive locations was given by Lieutenant Commander Shirk who, after witnessing the battle site sometime after the actual engagement, stated that "...could still see the lower decks of the transports which were sunk at that time just above the gunboats" (National Archives 1865a:70). Testimony from the Key West's Acting Assistant Engineer gives indications of the actual position of the boats to one another stating that "at the time the boats were burned the Tawah was just above us - and the Elfin just below. The Key West was tied up to the bank" (National Archives 1865a:132). Thomas J. Thompson of the Tawah contradicted the prior statement with, "We towed the Key West in to the shore and she made fast to a barge, and we to another just below her" (National Archives 1865a:170). Critical in our understanding of the final position of the tinclads is the use of "above" and "below" in the courts-martial records. The use of these two words throughout the proceedings was synonymous with the direction of the river as opposed to north or south, "above" meaning upstream and "below" meaning downstream. |
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Photo showing U.S.S. Key West (at left) in a vessel squadron off Mound City, Illinois in 1863 (photo courtesy of Naval Historical Center) |
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