Civil War operations USS St. Clair (1862)

1 civil war operations

1.1 assigned mississippi river operations
1.2 objectives of mississippi squadron
1.3 assigned reprisal , indemnity duties
1.4 supporting general rosecrans tennessee operations
1.5 st. clair comes under fire @ palmyra , disabled
1.6 assigned support mississippi river operations
1.7 clearing out red river , tributary, black river
1.8 final operations of war

civil war operations
assigned mississippi river operations

the next day, sailed in company brilliant cairo, illinois. many months previous, flag officer foote , commodore c. h. davis had commanded victorious western flotilla u.s. war department, gaining control of mississippi river cairo, illinois, memphis, tennessee.

on 1 october 1862, western flotilla transferred navy department, mississippi squadron, , placed under command of acting rear admiral david d. porter on 15th. davis, had relieved foote when latter incapacitated wounds, appointed chief of bureau of navigation.

admiral porter began augment gunboat squadron many shallow-draft vessels, including st. clair, , expand union operations on western rivers. squadron assembled @ cairo, dispatched , stationed along mississippi, cumberland, tennessee, , upper ohio rivers.

objectives of mississippi squadron

the objectives of mississippi squadron cooperate , support generals william rosecrans, ambrose burnside, ulysses s. grant, , others in combating guerrillas along river banks; stop transport of arms , munitions mississippi arkansas; punish rebel supporters living in , around river communities; , escort federal troop , supply transports on waterways. these ends, st. clair , sister gunboats successful throughout war.

assigned reprisal , indemnity duties

st. clair sent ohio river on 23 october 1862 assess rebel inhabitants of caseyville, kentucky, robbery of transport, hazel dell, , close ferries , curtail cross-river communications. ordered effect reprisals against persons known shelter , supply guerrillas confiscating goods , destroying property lesson others.

failing receive indemnity of 35,000 dollars townspeople, st. clair s crew arrested not prove loyalty , held them on board turn them on union army. among arrested official named william pemberton , notorious sutler, j. m. scantlin, dealt in gunpowder confederates. operating fairplay , brilliant, st. clair engaged in providing protection loyal citizens.

during december, operated in green, cumberland, , tennessee rivers restrict commerce.

supporting general rosecrans tennessee operations

in january 1863, st. clair provided convoy protection on cumberland nashville, tennessee, support general william rosecrans. in february, participated in relief of fort donelson.

on 3 february, while convoying army troop transports fairplay, lexington, brilliant, robb, , silver lake, st. clair engaged in three-hour duel rebels attacking union troops under col. harding near dover, tennessee. driving enemy positions, gunboats followed retreat river, shelling woods. though firing @ supposed positions , blinded wooded river banks, later found rebels never able avoid shelling , suffered several hundred casualties. through march, continued convoy operations.

st. clair comes under fire @ palmyra , disabled

on 3 april, @ palmyra, tennessee, while in convoy, st. clair fired on confederate batteries , disabled when accurate shots crippled machinery. safely towed away fairplay , later repaired @ cairo, illinois.

the following day, sister gunboats returned palmyra , burned town in retaliation.

assigned support mississippi river operations

on 19 june, st. clair designated gunboat no. 19. following repair, departed cairo late in june resume escort duty convoys bringing supplies forces besieging vicksburg.

after fall of strong confederate river fortress, mississippi squadron , western gulf squadron able control entire mississippi river, though not on of tributaries. st. clair sent south in mid-september operate between donaldsonville, louisiana, , new orleans, louisiana, in support of union army operations.

on 17 february 1864, st. clair on mississippi river above new orleans when strong wind drove u.s. 218-ton sidewheel paddle steamer hope her. hope sank result of collision.}}

early in 1864, plans laid down joint army-navy operation on red river prime purpose of restoring federal control in texas. admiral porter s mississippi squadron convey general william tecumseh sherman s forces river alexandria, louisiana, timed movement of forces under general nathaniel p. banks , general steele between there , shreveport, louisiana. operation carried out during expected high water conditions in mid-march.

clearing out red river , tributary, black river

the major portion of porter s fleet entered mouth on 12 march , moved river. unexpected strength in confederate ranks, unusual low water conditions year, , difficulty in coordinating movement of separate large forces overland brought failure, extent, campaign.

a portion of fleet, 14 vessels, became entrapped in upper river army withdrawing actions @ sabine crossroads , pleasant hill. determination of admiral porter , resourcefulness of army engineers saved fleet.

as constructing dams raise river float boats on rocks , falls, st. clair ordered baton rouge, louisiana, alexandria, louisiana, bolster defenses. on 21 april, engaged rebels below alexandria, , 25 april 3 may protected barges between fort de russy , alexandria while silencing gun positions @ dunn s bayou , wilson s bend. admiral porter had fleet reassembled @ alexandria , strengthened addition of 3 ironclads , part of farragut s detached squadron.

general banks arrived on 7 may, , began clear out red river , tributary, black. st. clair escorted transports mississippi river , engaged rebel troops @ eunice s bluff on 15th. transports safely reached simmesport, louisiana, @ mouth on 21st, , st. clair proceeded baton rouge.

final operations of war

the yazoo river became short time focal point of porter s squadron operations, while st. clair continued patrol , convoy duty in lower mississippi until august when steamed mound city, illinois, repairs.

st. clair spent remainder of year @ mound city. in january 1865, escorted convoys on tennessee river , carried dispatches between general thomas s headquarters , johnsonville, tennessee. remained in tennessee river until may , reassigned 3d division of mississippi squadron operate between grand gulf , new orleans.