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THE FORGOTTENLEGACY OF THE

CIVIL WARON THE TENNESSEE

RIVER

IntroductionCovered by the waters of the Tennessee River, thensubsequently by the murky waters of Kentucky Lake, liethe forgotten remnants of Civil War vessels that representone of the largest U.S. Naval defeats on our inland waters.Sunk during the little-known Battle of Johnsonville, thesearch for the wrecks has recently been the focus of localcitizen groups, archaeologists, and the State of Tennessee.For the past five years, maritime archaeologists withPanamerican Consultants ofMemphis, Tennessee, under theauspices of the TennesseeHistorical Commission andTennessee Wars Commission,have conducted intensiveremote sensing surveys anddiver investigations on portionsof the historic Tennessee Riverchannel in Kentucky Lake offthe submerged town ofJohnsonville, Tennessee.Performed in concert with Raisethe Gunboats, Inc. of Camden,Tennessee, the investigationshave been conducted in order tolocate and study the remnants ofthe Union vessels lost at Johnsonville, Tennessee during adaring raid by Confederate forces under General NathanBedford Forrest on November 4, 1864.

Situated in West-Central Tennessee in HumphreysCounty, the Battle of Johnsonville project area is locatedadjacent to and downriver, or north of the now-submergedhistoric town of Johnsonville. Prior to construction of adam across the Tennessee River at Gilbertsville, Kentuckyin 1944 and the subsequent creation of Kentucky Lake,Johnsonville lay on the east bank of the Tennessee River.Flowing south to north, and relatively straight atJohnsonville, the river was approximately 400 yards wideat the town.

HistoryDuring the Civil War the town of Johnsonville, Tennesseebecame a strategic supply point for the Union when theyselected the ferry town as the western terminus of theNashville and Northwestern military railroad. In an effortto support General Sherman's siege of Atlanta, therailroad was established to transport military suppliescoming up the Tennessee River by steamboat and thentransferred on to Nashville by rail.

In an effort to cut Union supplies, in November of1864, Confederate forces under General NathanBedford Forrest raided the depot and landing with asurprise artillery bombardment from cannon positionedon the opposite side of the river. The attack caused thedestruction of four U.S. Navy tinclads, at least eightsupply transport steamboats, a number of barges and 33pieces of artillery. Along with the vessels, it wasestimated that the raid caused the destruction of75,000-120,000 tons of quartermaster’s supplies, andmuch of the town itself.

Perhaps the most significant vessel types lost at theBattle of Johnsonville were the four Union tinclads, theUndine, the Key West, the Elfin, and the Tawah. Tincladvessels were a class of vessel that very little is known.In general, they were originally civilian steamboats thatwere bought into government service and hastilyconverted for their duties. Conversion of these vesselsentailed placing light armor on the main deck of thevessels as well as on the pilothouse. The armor on thesevessels was intended to deflect light arms fire and notmuch more. Hence the name "tinclad" versus the more

The remains of the three vessels, the Undine and the twotransports, are considered to meet criteria of eligibility fornomination to the National Register of Historic Places.Furthermore, as a Naval vessel, the Undine is still theproperty of the U.S. Navy and is protected from destruc-tion and or vandalism (i.e., artifact collecting). Under theauspicies of the Army at the time of their loss, thetransports are still considered the property of the FederalGovernment and fall under the purview of the U.S. Navyand, therefore, are afforded the same protection as theUndine. For more information on any aspect of theinvestigation please visit the websites listed below.

Raise the Gunboats, Inc.176 Warden Lane

Waverly, TN 37185www.gunboats.com

Prepared by:Panamerican Consultants, Inc.

15 South IdlewildMemphis, Tennessee 38104www.panamconsultants.com

Naval Historical CenterWashington Navy Yard

805 Kidder Breese Street SEWashington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5060

www.history.navy.mil

Tennessee Wars Commission2941 Lebanon Rd.

Nashville, TN 37243-0442www.state.tn.us/environment/hist/TnWarsCom.html

Fire bricks helped protect woodsteamboats from the heat of the steamboilers. The stamped maker’s markshelp archaeologists identify thevessels.

heavily clad "ironclads." A variety of armament (i.e. cannon)were then placed onboard to aid in defending these vessels.

Captured by Bedford's artillery forces after being disableddownriver from Johnsonville, the Confederates employed theUndine along with land-based artillery in a joint assaultagainst the town. With rebel batteries set at strategiclocations 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.Depositions from the subsequent court martial of LieutenantE. M. King USN of the late USS Key West offers an interpre-tation of the events and final disposition and location of thefour tinclads lost during the raid. The Undine succeeded inluring the three tinclads, the Tawah, Key West and Elfin awayfrom Johnsonville by approaching the town and shelling it.Upon the approach of the three Union gunboats, the Undinebacked under the protection of an artillery battery. But afterrealizing that six additional gunboats, which had just arrivedfrom Paducah, blocked her escape, her Confederate crew sether afire and abandoned the vessel.

The Tawah, Elfin and Key West engaged the Confederate forcesand took numerous artillery hits. All accounts agree that“They returned to Johnsonville - just above the transports.While laying there they continued the engagement until about3 o'clock - when I saw one of the gunboatson fire which I immediately reported. Atabout 3:10 I could see the Elfin or KeyWest on fire. At 3:30 discovered thetransports burning.”

A stunning Naval defeat for the Union aswell as stern reminder of Forrest'sabilities, the battle was much too late inthe war for the Confederate cause. TheNavy for its part sent the USS Kate, duringthe summer of 1865, to salvage the machinery, cannon andmetal belonging to the four tinclads. The vessels were heavilysalvaged of everything possible with the exception of the lowerhulls. It is unknown if the Army salvaged any of the transportsor barges also lost in the conflagration. In 1918, and prior tothe depot and battle site being submerged by the constructionof Kentucky Lake, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removedmost of the wrecks.

Archaeological InvestigationsTogether with Raise the Gunboats, Inc., and under the auspicesof the Tennessee Historical Commission, the Tennessee WarsCommission, and the Naval Historical Center, archaeologistswith Panamerican Consultants have spent the last five yearslocating and recording theremnants of the Uniongunboats and transports lostduring the stunning raid bythe Confederate forces.Believed to be all that remainsof the numerous vessels lostduring the conflagration, todate, only the tinclad Undine,and two transports have beenlocated. Burned to the waterline and subseqeuntlysalvaged, little remains of theactual vessels but the lowerhull. However, the vesseltypes and the battle theyfought and lost in arereflected in the numerousartifacts that still exist withinthe hulls.

The Wreck SitesTo date, the remains of threevessels associated with theUnion defeat have beenlocated. These include theremains of the tinclad Undine,and two transports. Originally

a 140-foot sternwheel steamboat built in Cincinnati, Ohio in1863, the remains of the Undine are buried under eight feet ofsediment downstream from the depot in an area identified onan historic after-battle map as the location of the vessel.Heavily salvaged of all her guns and armor, very little remainsof the burned vessel but her lower hull.

Two vessels identified as trans-ports and most likelysternwheelers were alsolocated. The two vessels sitside by side as if they had beentied together during the battle.Buried under three feet of

sediment, the vessels are burnedto the waterline.

Artifacts recovered during

the investigationAlthough very limited excavation has been conducted on thevessel remains, numerous artifact types have been recoveredfrom the shipwrecks. Representing various aspects of theBattle, the Civil War, or the vessels themselves, these includemilitary uniform buttons, rigging elements, food items such ascoffee beans, corn, and hardtack, munitions, leather shoes,include coal, bricks with maker’s marks, fasteners, a lock, a

Artists rendition of the attack on Union vessels during the Battle ofJohnsonville, November 4, 1864 by rebel batteries set at strategiclocations along the opposite river bank from the depot.

Cargo hook with single thimble.

Diver preparing to investigate one ofthe shipwrecks at Johnsonville.

Artist rendition of the diverexamination of the Johnsonvillewreck sites. Note what actuallyremains of the burned vessel versusits pre-battle profile.

rope monkey’s fist, as wellas metal labels/tags. Allartifacts are mute testimonyto the conflagration that tookplace during the November1864 raid. In order topreserve the artifacts theyare currently undergoingchemical conservationtreatments. These objectswill eventually serve asmuseum displays or aseducational objects.

Hardtack, a type of flour biscuit used to feed troops during the Civil War,recovered during the Johnsonville investigation.

Numerous uniform button typeshave been found in the hulls. Thebutton shown here has an Eagleinsignia representative of a generalservice button dating from the 1840sto 1865.

Intact monkey’s fist knottypically used to heave linesfrom a boat.

The tinclad Fort Hindman No. 13 was very similar in construction to theTawah, sunk during the attack on Johnsonville.

Outline of UnionTransports burned duringthe battle and now buried atthe Johnsonville waterfront.

Represented by this cross-section, all that remains ofthe burned vessels is theirlower hulls.