Name: HENRY CLAY, Type: sidewheel, wooden hull packet. Tonnage 257 ton. Dim.: 181' x 31', Launched: 1858, McKeesport, Pa. for Northern Line. Destroyed: 1863, Apr. 22, burned and lost while running batteries at Vicksburg, Area: 1858, U. Miss. R. *1862, Mar. 30, was near Alton, Owners: 1858, Northern Line Packet Company, Captains: 1858, first season, James W. Campbell, 1858-59, Charles Stephenson, 1861, C.B. Goll http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/henry.html
During the entire passage (April 16, 1863), only the transport, HENRY CLAY had been lost; struck by many shells, she burst into flames and was abandoned without any loss of life. Several hits were registered on the flotilla, leaving one transport with a disabled engine, and the rest a few dents and dings. The total human cost was a dozen wounded during the passage.
Thursday, Apr. 16 1863: Acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter runs his fleet past the guns of Vicksburg in order to reach a point below the city from which it can support a crossing of the river by troops under Ulysses Grant. Despite fires set to illuminate the waters and the presence of heavy guns, the Confederates can only succeed in sinking only the transport HENRY CLAY. - See more at: http://www.kennesaw.edu/civilwarera/sesq_1863.shtml
On April 16, a clear night with no moon, Porter sent seven gunboats and three empty troop transports loaded with stores to run the bluff, taking care to minimize noise and lights. But the preparations were ineffective. Confederate sentries sighted the boats, and the bluff exploded with massive artillery fire. Fires were set along the banks to improve visibility. The Union gunboats answered back. Porter observed that the Confederates mainly hit the high parts of his boats, reasoned that they could not depress their guns, and had them hug the east shore, right under Confederate cannon, so close he could hear their commanders giving orders, shells flying overhead. The fleet survived with little damage; thirteen men were wounded and none killed. The HENRY CLAY was disabled and burned at the water's edge. On April 22, six more boats loaded with supplies made the run; one boat did not make it, though no one was killed—the crew floated downstream on the boat's remnants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicksburg_Campaign
http://www.navalhistory.org/2010/04/18/1045
On this day 150 years ago (2013), William Tecumseh Sherman reported to Grant's Assistant Adjutant General Lieutenant Colonel John A. Rawlins on the results of an attempt by three Union transports to run the batteries of Vicksburg the night before.
HEADQUARTERS Fifteenth ARMY CORPS, Camp near Vicksburg, April 19, 1863.
Lieutenant Colonel John A. RAWLINS, Asst. Adjt. General, Milliken's Bend;
SIR: As it may be a matter of interest to the general in command to know, I have to report that the fate of the three transports sent past the Vicksburg batteries during the night of April 17 is as follows:
The HENRY CLAY, Captain Rider, became disabled, and was in a sinking condition soon after coming within range of the upper batteries. She had in tow a barge with some soldiers on, which was cast loose and floated down stream, and is supposed to be safe. The boat itself took fire and burned to the water's edge, and floated down stream a burning mass. I was, in person, in a boat out at Bigg's picket station, and my boat picked up the pilot, Taylor, floating near the burning wreck. He told a wonderful story, by no means consistent in all its parts, but asserted positively that every human being had left the boat, save himself, before he discovered her on fire. Several of the crew have some in, from I gather the following particulars: The boat had two yawls, which received on board the crew and hands, with certain exceptions, noted below, which yawls pushed off and landed at De Soto, where they landed and hid behind and old levee during the cannonade. After it had ceased, they began to make their way through the submerged swamps toward our camp, and all on board the yawls have reached camp, except the barkeeper and chambermaid (white) and one deck-hand, named Henry, also a white man.
FIRST yawl; Luke, a white man, has come in; John a white man, has come in; Henry, barkeeper, and chambermaid landed at De Soto, not heard of since; William Gould, one black man, saved.
SECOND yawl: John Kennedy, Thompson Rowley, Jack Cook, all white men; one white boy, three blacks; all safe.
Captain Rider was last seen, by John Kennedy, on the hurricane deck, but is unaccounted for. Watchman Metz, same as Captain Rider. The boat's carpenter and the SECOND cook are represented to have gone into the hold and closed the hatches, in which case they are surely lost. This is the most accurate account I can obtain of their fate.
There was manifestly great consternation and confusion on board all the time.
Erhard Jung
USA Forever stamp 2013 sg?, scott? (she is one of the transports in the rear.)