CHAP. XXVIII.] AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865. 



461 



effected his retreat with little or no loss. This affair is 

 interesting to the professional soldier from the fact that 

 the Confederate advance-guard, only forty strong, com- 

 posed of picked moimtt 1 men, charged a battery of six 

 pieces of artillery, revolver in hand, and captured the 

 guns, killing and wounding some twenty of the gunners.^ 



Forrest had made his cavalry perform almost every 

 species of service that falls to the lot of land forces — 

 they had acted as cavalry and as infantry, they had 

 fought in line of battle, as at Chickamauga, they had 

 driven off gunboats, they had stormed fortifications, and 

 built bridges. Tliey were, however, not to close their 

 career without having an extraordinary and novel 

 experience. 



In October 1864 Forrest decided to make an effort 

 to impede the navigation and use of the Tennessee 

 river, which was filled w^itli Federal gunboats and 

 transports. Choosing a strong position on the bank of 

 the river, he concealed his force, masked his guns in 

 position, and awaited the approach of the enemy's vessels.^ 

 On the 29th October the steamer Mazeppa, with a barge 

 in tow, was attacked and disabled, her crew running her 

 on the opposite bank and escaping. Captain Gracy, of 

 Forrest's cavalry, swam across the river anti brought a 

 yawl ])ack, and the vessel was soon in the possession of 

 the Confederates, with her cargo containing large 

 supplies of military stores. 



The gunboat Undine, convoying the steam transport 

 Venus, came down soon after, and after a vigorous fight, 

 in which the artillery played upon them, while the Con- 

 federate sharpshooters kept up a deadly fire upon the open 

 portholes of the gunboat, both vessels were captured by 

 the cavalry, and, being repaired, were manned by detach- 

 ments chosen from the comm.ard, and the Conftxl-iTite 

 flag was soon floating from bcl b ^^essels. Forrest made 

 a trial trip with his fleet as far as F(7it Hieman to sec 

 that all was in condition for service ; the horsemen on 

 shore making the air ring with cheer after cheer for 



I;!- 



' Campaigns of FoiTest, 540. 



- Forrest, 592. 



