ATTACK ON FORT HENRY. age equal to the trying duties of a leader in war." It was the design to make a combined naval and military attack upon Fort Henry, but in consequence of the state of the roads, the land force was delayed in its march, and the work devolved entirely upon Captain Foote with his flotilla of gun-boats. 27 The flotilla sailed from Cairo on the morning of the 6th of February. It consisted of seven gun-boats, of which four were new and iron-clad, and three old. The former, the Cincinnati, Commander Stembel, upon which was Captain Foote as flag-officer; the Essex, Commander Porter; the Carondelet, Commander Walker; and the St. Louis, Lieutenant-Commanding Paulding, constituted the first division: the latter, the Conestoga, Lieutenant-Commanding Phelps; the Tyler, Lieutenant-Commanding Gavin, and the Lexington, General Grant, however, had marched out a considerable body of troops, consisting of the first division under General McClernand, and three brigades of the second division under General C. F. Smith, with the view of their Lieutenant-Commanding Shirk, formed co-operating in the attack. This force was so disposed as to act simultaneously with the fleet, but before the troops were able to reach their respective positions, Captain Foote had completed the work. The following order gives the proposed plan of cooperation : “HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CAIRO, "The first division, General McClernand commanding, will move at eleven o'clock A.M. to-morrow, under the guidance of Lieutenant-Colonel McPherson, and take a position on the roads from Fort Henry to Donelson and Dover. "It will be the special duty of this command to pre vent all reinforcement to Fort Henry, or escape from it. Also to be held in readiness to charge and take FortHenry by storm, promptly on the receipt of orders. "Two brigades of the second division, General C. F. Smith commanding, will start at the same hour from the west bank of the river, and take and occupy the heights commanding Fort Henry. This point will be held by so much artillery as can be made available, and such other troops as, in the opinion of the general commanding the second division, may be necessary for its protection. "The third brigade, second division, will advance up the east bank of the Tennessee River, as fast as it can be securely done, and be in readiness to charge upon the fort or move to the support of the first division, as may be necessary. "All the forces on the west bank of the river, not re the second division, under the general will quired to hold the heights commanding Fort Henry, return to their transports, cross to the east bank, and follow the first brigade as fast as possible. "The west bank of the Tennessee River not having been reconnoitred, the commanding officer intrusted with taking possession of the enemy's works there, will proceed with great caution, and such information as can be gathered, and such guides as can be found in the time intervening, before eleven o'clock to-morrow. "The troops will receive two days' rations of bread and meat in their haversacks. "One company of the second division, armed with rifles, will be ordered to report to Flag-Officer Foote, as sharpshooters on board the gun-boats. By order, "U. S. GRANT, Brigadier-General Commanding." which was immediately followed by that of the other gun-boats. The enemy at Feb, the same time responded, and thus 6. began at half-past twelve o'clock the conflict at Fort Henry, which resulted so triumphantly to the Unionists. Foote continued to approach closer and closer with his parallel line of gunboats until he reached within 600 yards of the fort. The fire now on both sides increased greatly in rapidity and accuracy of range. After the firing had continued about an hour, the Essex received a shot in her boiler, which entirely disabled the vessel, so that she was forced to drop astern out of the action. The escape of steam which followed killed five and scalded some forty or fifty others, among whom was the commander. The firing, however, between the fort and the three gun-boats left, continued with unabated vigor, until the "rebel flag," says Captain Foote in his report, was hauled down, after a very severe and closely contested action of one hour and fifteen minutes." 66 after arrived, and delivering up his sword to Captain Foote, said, "Captain, I am glad to surrender to so gallant an officer," whereupon he received the reply: "You do perfectly right, sir, in surrendering; but you should have blown my boats out of the water before I would have surrendered to you.' 11 General Grant arrived with his force toward the close of the engagement, in time to take possession of the fort, but too late to prevent the escape of the several thousand men encamped on the outside, who fled before the attack. The prisoners taken amounted to about sixty, including General Tilghman and his staff. Captain Foote paid this tribute to his conquered enemy: "Fort Henry was defended with the most determined gallantry by General Tilghman, worthy of a better cause, who, from his own account, went into the action with eleven guns of heavy calibre, bearing upon our boats, which he fought until seven of the number were dismantled or otherwise rendered useless." The enemy certainly worked their guns with great energy and accuracy. The Cincinnati, the flag-ship, received thirty-one shots; the Essex, fifteen; the St. Louis, seven, and the Carondelet, six. Such, however, was the efficacy of the iron-plating of these boats, that not one, with the exception of the Essex, was seriously damaged. The men, moreover, considering the closeness and severity of the engagement, suffered little. As soon as the enemy's flag was lowered, an adjutant-general and captain of engineers came off in a boat and reported that General Tilghman, the commander of the fort, wished to communicate with the flag-officer. Captain Foote accordingly dispatched Commander Stembel and Lieutenant-Commanding Phelps, with orders to hoist the American flag where the "rebel ensign had been flying," and to inform General Tilghman that the flag-officer would see him on his ship. The defeated commander soon | think was as courteous as he was brave. It is hoped that there is some mistake in this reported answer of Captain Foote, who it would be satisfactory to CAPTURE OF FORT HENRY. The capture of Fort Henry having wrested the command of the Tennessee from the secessionists, opened to the Federal gun-boats the passage up the river through the State of Tennessee and within the borders of Alabama. 29 One was killed and nine were wounded ward Florence, the enemy, as they on the Cincinnati; one killed by gun- caught sight of the Federal gun-boats, shot on the Essex, though some forty set fire to three steamers lying at this were killed or injured by steam, and the place. At Florence, Lieutenant Phelps Carondelet and St. Louis escaped with-landed with a force, and was met by a out damage to a man. The enemy had had deputation of the citizens. A few tranfive killed and eight or ten wounded. quilizing words served to quiet their fears. "I told them," says Lieutenant Phelps, " Phelps, "that we were neither ruffians nor savages, and that we were there to protect from violence and to enforce the law." After thus sailing up the river to Florence, Lieutenant Phelps turned back. back. At Eastport, twenty-five Tennesseeans enlisted in the Federal service, and gave information of an encampment of a regiment of the enemy at Savannah. Lieutenant Phelps accordingly proceeded to attack it, but on reaching the place found the camp deserted. He now continued his route down the river to Fort Henry, where he arrived after an absence of four days. Accordingly a flotilla, consisting of the three gun-boats-Conestoga, Taylor, and Lexington-under the command of Lieutenant S. Phelps, was sent up the TennesFeb. see on a reconnoitring expedition. 6. On reaching the railroad bridge which crosses the river about twentyfive miles above Fort Henry, a number of transport steamers belonging to the enemy were discovered beyond. These could not be immediately reached, as the "draw" of the bridge was closed and the machinery disordered. This, however, was soon remedied, and the flotilla passed on in rapid pursuit of the retreating vessels, which, after a chase of five hours, were abandoned and burned by those on board. On reaching Cerro Gordo, in Hardin Feb. County, Tennessee, an unfinished 7. gun-boat, the Eastport, with a quantity of timber and other material belonging to the enemy, was captured. On the next day, at Chickasaw, two other steamers, loaded with supplies, were taken, and on entering the State of Alabama and ascending the river to Lieutenant Phelps, in his official report, gave a glowing account of the welcome he received from the "enemy." "We have met," he wrote, "with the most gratifying proofs of loyalty everywhere across Tennessee and in the portions of Mississippi and Alabama we visited. Most affecting instances greeted us almost hourly. Men, women, and children several times gathered in crowds of hundreds, shouted their welcome, and hailed their national flag with an enthusiasm there was no mistaking; it was genuine and heartfelt. These people braved everything to go to the river bank where a sight of their flag might once more be enjoyed, and they have experienced, as they related, every possible form of persecution. Tears flowed freely down the cheeks of men as well as of women, and there were those who had fought under the Stars and Stripes at Moultrie, who in this manner testified to their joy. "This display of feeling and sense of gladness at our success, and the hopes it created in the breasts of so many people in the heart of the Confederacy, astonished us not a little, and I assure you, sir, I would not have failed to witness it for any consideration; I trust it has given us all a higher sense of the sacred character of our present duties. I was assured at Savannah that of the several hundred troops there, more than onehalf, had we gone to the attack in time, would have hailed us as deliverers, and gladly enlisted with the national force. "In Tennessee, the people generally, in their enthusiasm, braved secessionists and spoke their views freely, but in Mississippi and Alabama what was said was guarded. 'If we dared express ourselves freely, you would hear such a shout greeting your coming as you never heard.' 'We know there are many Unionists among us, but a reign of terror makes us afraid of our shadows.' We were told, too, 'Bring us a small, organized force, with arms and ammunition for us, and we can maintain our position and put down rebellion in our midst.' There were, it is true, whole communities who, on our approach, fled to the woods, but these were where there was less of the loyal element, and where the fleeing steamers in advance had spread tales of our coming with firebrands burning, destroying, ravishing, and plundering." |