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Civil War Tours
*Birdsong Resort –*
*Just Upriver of the Battle of Johnsonville*
*And Site of the March to Florence*
* *
*You could call it a tale of two banks. On Nov. 4, 1864, C.S. Gen. Nathan
Bedford Forrest's cavalry shelled the Federal depot at Johnsonville on the
Tennessee River's east bank five miles northeast of this marker, turning it
into a mile-long inferno. Most of its military supplies were torched, more
than 30 boats burnt. *
*Damages totaled $2.2 million, which in 2007 would be worth almost $37
million. "We had all the boats in full blast burning, making the prettiest
sight man ever saw on the river," Forrest's lieutenant, C.S. Gen. Tyree
Bell, would later say.*
*On the west bank of the Tennessee River, residents of Birdsong Creek and
other communities cheered the resurrection of the 'Confederate Navy,' as
Forrest's victorious cavalry marched south with the flag of the
captured-then-sunk U.S.S. Undine. It was the first – and so far, only – time
in recorded history that a cavalry defeated a navy.*
*In a change of fortunes, the evening of Nov. 5 brought mercy for the town
and misery for the Confederacy. Torrential rainstorms soaked the area while
Forrest's cavalry withdrew to the south toward Florence, Ala., and the
uncontrolled Tennessee River turned most of the land into soggy marshland.
Bell would later say, "...The country was deluged with water. The roads were
almost impassable, the worst roads on earth."*
*The cavalry, which normally traveled more than 20 miles a day, was reduced
to less than three as it slogged through the west bottoms of the Tennessee
and over the mouth of Birdsong Creek (one mile east-northeast of this
marker). It would take two weeks to make the 100-mile journey to Florence,
just south of the Alabama state line, to meet the C.S. Army of Tennessee
under Gen. John Bell Hood.*
Raise the Gunboats
In 1990 a group of local citizens decided to try to raise some of the
gunboats sunk at the Battle of Johnsonville" which have been resting in the mud and pea gravel
for over 136 years. The group calls itself Raise the Gunboats, Inc. and
is a non-profit organization.
In 1993 several dives took place which helped to locate several
underwater shipwrecks. Plans began to be put into action to raise the
necessary funds to provide the resources needed to raise one of these
gunboats.
Battles with the Navy took place which delayed some of the salvage work,
but finally in November of 1997 a boat was raised which was thought to
be the Tawah, on of the 5 sunken gunboats.
Unfortunately, it appears to have been an Army Corp of Engineers Derrick
Boat #9 that was used around 1912-1919 to keep the river channel clear.
Yet, what was accomplished was the fact that RTG proved they could raise
a submerged structure with the equipment they own. (Details are included
on the Derrick Boat #9 recovery on this site)
Over the years many interesting stories have surfaced about the
gunboats, and barges, back before TVA flooded the area to form Kentucky
Lake, sometimes dry, drought conditions would cause water levels to be
low. Locals would board the partially revealed vessels and would recover
such items as cedar pencils and such.
One person once reported having seen a whole load of cannonballs.
Local Shell Divers over the years have recovered artillery shells, a
pistol, coffee beans, etc.
CALL 800.225.7469 for more information
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255 Marina Road - 9 Miles North of Exit 133 on I-40
Camden Kentucky Lake, Tennessee 38320-9699
731.584.7880 - General Info/Guide Service/Rentals
800.225.7469 - Reservations/Boat Sales/Pearl Tours
731.584.3625 - Fax
731.584.1996 - Bob's Residence
615.351.2628 - Bob's Personal Cell with Voice Mail Box
731.584.0230 - Marina Ship's Store
Copyright © 2008 Birdsong Resort & Marina
Designed and maintained by Whitestone Open Services
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