The following letter was written by Robert Lewis Bliss, Jr. (1843-1908), the son of Robert Lewis Bliss, Sr. (1803-1872) and Susan Collins (1807-1885) of Florence, Lauderdale county, Alabama. Military records are sketchy but it’s clear that Robert enlisted as a private at Florence, Mississippi on 24 December 1861 and that he was recruited by Capt. [T. A.] Jones whom he mentions in this letter that was datelined less than a month after his enlistment. He was initially in the 27th Alabama Regiment but that he was captured at Fort Donelson but escaped and rejoined the remnants of other regiments who were organized into the 33rd Mississippi Battalion and later served as an Ordnance Sergeant in various organizations. After fighting in the Battle of Franklin in late 1864, Robert transferred to Forrest’s Cavalry Corps.

Though he was a private, Robert had excellent handwriting and at the time this letter was written in January 1862 he was probably serving as the company clerk. Most likely he and Capt. Jones were tenting together. Danville, Tennessee, where this letter was penned, no longer exists. It was permanently flooded with the creation of Kentucky Lake, but it stood near present-day McKinnon. Located on the Tennessee river, it became a location of strategic important because of the railroad bridge and the siting of a rebel commissary and hospital near the landing. It was located about 10-15 miles upriver from Fort Henry.

This letter pertains to the expedition by Flag Office Andrew Hull Foote who assigned the Lexington and the Conestoga gunboats to move from Paducah up the Tennessee River along with the transport, F. W. Wilson, carrying 500 infantry troops and artillery on 16 January 1862. On the 17th, the flotilla stopped just below Ft. Henry to fire on a suspected masked battery and at Fort Henry, though they were too far away to have any effect. The flotilla then withdrew to Aurora and the troops disembarked. For the next couple of days, the two Union gunboats probed the area near the fort and exchanged a few shots with the fort and a Confederate gunboat and then withdrew, concluding that the fort could be readily taken by Grant’s forces should he obtain permission from Halleck to proceed. [Source: Union Gunboat Action on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, 1861-1864, by Lowell L. Getz]

Transcription

Danville Landing
January 19, 1862

Dear Mother,

A few days ago a runner came in from Paducah with a dispatch sewed up in his bootleg stating that a large force was preparing to march up the rivers Tennessee and Cumberland. Yesterday morning between 3 and 4 o’clock, the alarm was beat and the adjutant came to our tent and cried out, “Capt. get up—the devil’s to pay—the Yankees are coming!” It did not take long to dress. We were marched out to an old field where those who had no guns were ordered to return to camp to pack all things portable and to cook as many things as possible for it was thought probable we would have to abandon our position, having no fortifications and being very poorly armed, I was on the list of those who had no guns and was sent back and made manager of the camp. I had everything packed and made ready.

Two or three boats came up from Ft. Henry. All the negroes were sent up the river and all the sick were put on two other boats. Just as they were about starting, Capt. Jones ordered me to go with them and to take charge of our trunks and his negro. We left there between 9 and 10 p’clock. Two gunboats had been in sight of Ft. Henry and fired about twenty times. The scouts reported that they were landing in large force twenty miles below. On this boat were about 60 men sick and nurses. Dr. [Edward] McAlexander ¹ came up this morning and reported no fight yesterday but that they expected an attack this morning had it not been for a very heavy rain which fell last night and still continues.

The enemy had landed 2,200 strong below. Our men had put all their baggage on board the “Smith” and if compelled were ready to be transported to Ft. Henry. They slept on their arms all last night. I am very well with the exception of being half starved. I did not want to come up here but Capt. Jones would not let me off. In a great hurry, — R. L. Bliss

We are now at the Tennessee [railroad] bridge but may have to go further up. — R. L. B.

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¹ Edward Asbury McAlexander (1833-1870) was a physician from Gravelly Springs, Lauderdale county, Alabama. He was the Colonel of the 27th Alabama Infantry.