The guns of the U.S.S Tyler sent their last blast hurtling toward Graveyard Hill at 10:30 A.M. on July 4, 1863. The Confederates were retreating. Helena remained in Union hands.
The Battle of Helena, July 4 1863
The Tyler steamed into action before dawn, firing on Confederate troops near Helena on the Little Rock Road. Two hours later the Tyler's captain, Lieutenant Commander James M. Pritchett, brought the gunboat opposite Battery C.
A Barrage of Shot and Shell
As the Confederates aimed the capture battery's guns on Fort Curtis, the Tyler opened fire. Her broadside guns poured fire onto Graveyard Hill and into the ravines sheltering sharpshooters. Her stern guns pounded the battery below as her bow guns poured shells into the upper battery. The Tyler's gunners fired 433 rounds of shots and shell with deadly effect.
The Tyler's Captain Praised
General Benjamin Prentiss, Commander of the Union forces at Helena, wrote Admiral David D. Porter, "Pritchett acquitted himself with honor and distinction...I attribute not a little of our success in the late battle to his full knowledge of the situation."
The U.S.S Tyler Goes to War
The U.S. Navy converted the U.S.S. Tyler from a freight passenger steamer to a timberclad gunboat in August 1861.
The Boat
The Tyler was a paddle wheeler with a wheel at each side. She was 180 feet long and 52 feet wide.The Reinforced HullFive inches of oak on the upper deck and pilot areas protected the Tyler from small arms fire but nothing heavier. Barges tied alongside helped protected the hull.
The Guns
The Tyler carried three 30-pounders, one 12-pounder and six 8-inch smooth bore guns.
Photographs:
USS Tyler on one of the Western rivers, circa 1862-1865.
A small cutter is in the foreground and a "City" class ironclad is on the right distance.
Courtesy U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph Collection
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