The War In The Backwaters
by William R. Morris
This article was originally published in “The Wayne County Historian” Vol. 2, No. 2, June 1989
During the Civil War many small skirmishes were fought in and around the city of Clifton, Tennessee. Among those military actions was an extended fight occurring in late July of 1864, between Col. Jacob Biffle’s 19th (9th) Tennessee Cavalry, C.S.A., and Col. John Murphy’s 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry, US Volunteers, as well as the U.S. Navy gunboat “Undine”.
Clifton, a town located on the Tennessee River in the northwest corner of Wayne County, had been occupied as a military post by the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry since late December 1863. The garrison was roughly located on a small knoll behind the Clifton Presbyterian Church. As part of his duties, Col. Murphy, commander of the Clifton post, would send detachments of his force on patrols, scouting the area to gather information, forage, and, on occasion, to skirmish with regular and guerrilla Confederate forces.
Since the fall of Fort Donalson in February, 1862, the US Navy had sent frequent gunboat patrols up and down the Tennessee River. These boats would travel the river to gather intelligence, and on occasion, do battle with Confederate military forces on shore. When possible they would stop at Union military posts, like Clifton, to render assistance.
Biffle’s Cavalry Regiment, formed in late 1862, was involved in numerous raids and battles during its service under Generals Nathan B. Forrest and Joseph Wheeler. Although records reflect that in late 1864, the unit was involved in actions occurring in Georgia, there also exist records indicating that a least a portion of the unit was in the Wayne County area of Tennessee in late July. Biffle’s Cavalry regiment, as well as the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry, were composed primarily of men from Wayne County, Tennessee.
On Friday, 22 July 1864, after a skirmish at Clifton with Confederate forces in which SGT Barnett Hughes of Company I was wounded, and the enemy beaten back, Col. Murphy began to separate his force. Col. Murphy left Clifton with two companies of his regiment to establish his new headquarters at Section 54 of the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. Murphy left the remainder of his command at Clifton under Major James M. Dickerson.
On the 23rd of July, another skirmish occurred. During the course of this fight, Ephrim Brown and Daniel McGee, both of Company A, 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry [afterwards referred to as TMI], were killed. Brian Frankham of Company D, TMI, was captured.
On Sunday, 24 July, no military actions occurred at Clifton, However, Col. Murphy’s detachment had run into trouble. As the two companies and headquarters staff neared the Hickman County town of Centreville, they were attacked by the Confederates. Company F’s William Porter was captured and William Campbell was killed.
The following day the U.S.S. “Undine” (No. 55), an eight gun, US Navy gunboat, arrived at Clifton. The vessel was under the command of Acting Master John L. Bryant. During the afternoon, the “Undine” prepated to leave Clifton. In the process of backing from the bank, the boat struck a snag, tearing a two feet long hole in the bottom. Despite all his efforts, Bryant became aware that keeping the boat afloat was a lost cause. He ordered his sailors to begin dismounting the boat’s cannon and to land the ammunition and stores.
The boat sank on a slant in water four to nineteen feet deep. Bryant dispatched his acting ensign, J. P. Neave, and four men to seek naval assistance.
On Tuesday, the 26th, Biffle was again in position to attack the post at Clifton. Dickerson had met with Bryant and had taken two of the 24 pound howitzers back to the stockade along with a squad of sailors to assist in mounting the cannon. Bryant meanwhile had mounted two additional cannon on the riverbank to cover not only the roads leading to the river, but the west bank of the river opposite Clifton.
Wednesday, while activity inside the stockade remained relatively quiet, events continued to happen. Bryant’s crew placed their salvaged stores and ammunition in a house near the riverbank. Company F had left the post en route to Col. Murphy’s location at Centerville. As that company neared Centerville, Pvt. Paskel Moore was killed in action with the enemy.
Fighting resumed around the post on the 28th. Men from Company H, 2nd TMI were engaged with the surrounding Confederate cavalry. Company I managed to leave the post to join Col. Murphy. Bryant’s men were involved in removing iron and coal from around the “Undine’s” boilers when they saw the U.S.S. “Elfin” (No. 54) approaching. The “Elfin” was returning with Ensign Neave and the four sailors Bryant had sent for help. Bryant was probably relieved to know that help was on the way.
Little occurred on the 29th. The salvage efforts continued on the “Undine”. There was a lull in the fighting around the post. Company F, 2nd TMI, had arrived at Centreville.
Biffle’s attack on Clifton rapidly escalated on the 30th of July. True to the proven battlefield experiences gained from his service under General Forrest, Biffle demanded the surrender of the post. At 6:30 A.M., Biffle sent a message under a flag of truce to Post Commander, Major Dickerson, in which he demanded the surrender of both the town of Clifton and the garrison located there. Biffle gave Dickerson twenty minutes to decide his men’s fate. In order to further pressure Dickerson, Biffle also demanded that all the citizens of the town be allowed to leave as he intended to shell it immediately. This demand was similar to ones made of Federal troops by General Forrest throughout the war. On this occasion the demand proved a useless tactic since Dickerson refused to respond. Dickerson’s decision was no doubt influenced by the presence of the “Undine’s: formidable 24 pound howitzers. The soldiers and sailors prepared for the attack. Although the Union men continued to man their posts through the day and into the night, no general attack ever came.
On 31 July 1864, the attack at Clifton ended. Additional naval vessels arrived and with their crews’ assistance and equipment, Bryant managed to refloat the “Undine” and make temporary repairs. The boat’s stores, guns and ammunition were taken with the “Undine” when she left Clifton. Companies A, B, C, D, and E (2nd TMI) remained at Clifton, while Companies F, G, H, I, and K joined Col. Murphy and established camps in and around Section 54 of the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. Biffle’s regiment withdrew.
In a short time, events leading to General Forrest’s attack on the Union supply depot at Johnsonville would bring all three of these units together again. Biffle’s cavalry would return with vengeance. Murphy’s regiment would suffer its greatest loss. The “Undine” would become part of the only naval force in history to belong to and be operated by a cavalry unit. But those are other stories.
Sources:
Brownlow, James P., Report of The Adjutant General Of The State Of Tennessee Of The Military Forces Of The State From 1861 To 1866, S.C. Merce, 1866.
Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee, Tennesseans In The Civil War, University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN, Second Printing 1984.
Henry, Robert S., “First With The Most” Forrest, Broadfoot Publishing Co., 1987
U.S. Government, Official Record of Naval Forces On Western Waters, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, n.d.
U.S. Government, Compiled Service Records Of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Serviced in Organizations From the State of Tennessee, National Archives, Microfilm Publication 395, Roll 136.
“The Clifton Mirror”, March 23, 1906.