Kentucky River Operations
She continued river patrols, reporting on construction of ships in the Tennessee River, and in April 1864 with USS Hastings and USS Fairy broke up a Confederate attack on Columbus, Kentucky. On the 16th, the Confederates attacked Fort Pillow, annihilating its 500 defenders; Moose, USS Brilliant, and Hastings were sent there to clean up. On the 29th, Moose scouted the river to Hickman, Kentucky, bringing away Unionists while skirmishing to keep guerrillas away from the river.
From May through December, Moose patrolled from Nashville to halt smuggling and control guerrilla movements. Typical operations included shelling and scattering a group of 40 cavalry at the crossing of the Memphis and Clarksville Railroads near Johnsonville 5 November, and shelling a large southern encampment above Turkey Island the same month. On 3 and 4 December, she fought field batteries at Bell’s Hills, Tennessee, silencing the guns and recapturing three transports. She returned to Nashville, but hit another battery, the 15th, capturing the guns. She joined USS Neosho 17 December to escort transports compelled to return to Nashville by a strong southern force.
Read more about this topic: USS Moose (1863)
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