. The photographic history of the Civil War : thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities . TllK I NARMORED rOWIXG TOWER Look into these six keen eyes whieh knew every current andeddy, every snag and sandbar of the Mississippi. To the handsof men like these the commanders of the Federal gunboatsowed the safe conduct of their vessels. Nohearts more fearless nor hands more steadyunder fire were brought into the fighting oneither side. Standing silently at the wheel,their gaze fixed on the familiar countenanceof the river before them, they guided thegunboats th
. The photographic history of the Civil War : thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities . TllK I NARMORED rOWIXG TOWER Look into these six keen eyes whieh knew every current andeddy, every snag and sandbar of the Mississippi. To the handsof men like these the commanders of the Federal gunboatsowed the safe conduct of their vessels. Nohearts more fearless nor hands more steadyunder fire were brought into the fighting oneither side. Standing silently at the wheel,their gaze fixed on the familiar countenanceof the river before them, they guided thegunboats through showers of shell. Peeringinto the murky night, they felt their waythrough shallow channels past watchful bat-teries whose first shot would be aimed againstthe frail and improtected pilot house. There was no more dangerous post than thepilot house of a gunboat, standing as a targetfor the gunners, who knew that to disable thepilot was to render the vessel helpless to drifthither and yon or to run aground to be riddledfull of holes. After the Inland Fleet passed. from the control of the army to that of the navy the pilotsof all the gunboats except Ellets rams were brevetted actingmasters or masters mates and wore the uniform of thenavy. Their services and bravery were fullyrecognized by the commanders, and theirintimate knowledge of the river admittedthem to conferences in which the most secretand difficult naval movements were river pilot knew when he could take hisvessel over sandbars and inundated shallowswhere soundings would have turned back anynavigating officer of the navy. Such valuablemen were never safe. Even when passing upand down apparently peaceful reaches of theriver the singing of some sharpshootersbullet would give sudden warning that alongthe banks men were lying in wait for mortality among the pilots during the warspeaks volumes for the simple heroism ofthese silent men. Copyright by Review of Reviews Co. THE TARGET OF THESHARPSHOOTERS
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Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidphotographichist01mill
