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Thomas reformed his regiments, and pursued the flying enemy to his intrenchments, and cannonaded him until dark. He might have captured the whole army, but, unaware of its real strength, was reluctant to attempt it in the darkness, and postponed the attack till morning. The enemy, however, had abandoned their works in the night, and fled across the river in great confusion. In them were found twelve pieces of artillery, a hundred and fifty-six wagons, a thousand horses and mules, and large quantities of muskets, ammunition, and camp equipage. Thomas was unable to pursue the enemy across the river. They were a disorganized mass, as it was found afterward, and on their flight, the way which marked it was full of their wounded. Our loss in this battle, was one hundred and eighty-six killed and wounded; that of the enemy, as far as known, three hundred and forty-nine. By this brilliant victory, the line of rebel defence in Kentucky was broken, and it rendered a flank movement possible, though resistance should be made in the centre, and on the Mississippi.

On the 10th, General McClernand set out from Cairo, with five thousand men-infantry and cavalry-and scoured all the country south of the Ohio toward Columbus. The marches were difficult and tedious, but nothing of any considerable importance resulted from the expedition.

The famous Burnside expedition, which sailed from Hampton Roads on the 11th, though long preparing, and cherished with great expectation, ended in disappointment to the public. It consisted of a naval force, under Goldsborough, of twenty-three gunboats, all steamers but three, and twenty thousand troops, under Burnside. Part of it was encountered by a fierce storm in Pamlico sound, and lay there dismantled. Some of the vessels foundered on the bar in Hatteras inlet, which could not be crossed by any efforts. The largest of the vessels were contracted to require only a certain depth of water, but many, drawing more, were entirely unfit for the purpose, and useless.

The propeller City of New York foundered on the bar, and thirty vessels in sight could lend her no relief. She contained ammunition, blankets, tents, and stores, and her loss would be terrible to the expedition. The crew was saved, but the vessel was a total wreck. The steamboat Zouave sunk as she ay at anchor, and a transport with

SAVANNAH---FORT PULASKI CUT off.

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stores went down on the bar. The Ann E. Thompson, with the Ninth New Jersey volunteers, lay outside, and Colonel Allen and Surgeon Weller took a boat to report her condi tion. They crossed the bar through the inlet, and carried out their dangerous attempt, but returning, the boat swamped, and they both perished. Burnside was now in a distressing situation-his fine fleet was scattered and wrecked, the ammunition was sunk in the sea, and the best vessels, unable to cross the bar, lay tossing outside. They were now lightened, with immense labor, and at last crossed the bar but storm after storm threatened to complete the work of destruction, and the great pains to keep the precise point against which the expedition was to operate, a secret to the enemy, proved in vain, and he had time for ample preparations. Surprise was now out of the question, and whatever was done, must be performed by hard fighting, while, for the present at least, this great naval force must remain inactive.

Events were now occurring of a more fortunate character for the Union, on the Georgia coast, which afforded hopes that the patriots would soon be in possession of Fort Pulaski, or even the fair city of Savannah. At Port Royal, Sherman had pushed his reconnoissances up through dif ferent inlets, which run from the river Savannah through the immense marshes that border on the sea. His purpose was to try if any way could be found to reach Savannah without passing Fort Pulaski. Lieutenant Wilson found his way, with great labor, through Mud and Wright rivers, to Savannah, and reported them capable of receiving gunboats, and boats of light draught. Another passage found was on the right of Savannah, and communicating with Wilmington sound. Sherman made use of these, and finally cut off Fort Pulaski from Savannah. Batteries frowned on the mud banks, little above water level, and guns were mounted where the rebels deemed it impracticable. At last Sherman occupied an island in the river, which shut up Tatnall's fleet, and the people of Savannah were filled with apprehensions. The soldiers, on these expeditions, endured more severe trials than on the battle field, and their great energy and indomitable perseverance earned, merited, and obtained the highest praise.

An important change tok place in the Federal Cabinet

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on the 13th, by which Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, was notified by Mr. Lincoln that he was relieved from the duties of his office, and that he had been appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia, in place of Cassius M. Clay. Mr. Edwin M. Stanton, an eminent lawyer, originally of Ohio, but then resident in Washington-a War Democratwas appointed in the place of the retiring secretary.

The Ericsson floating battery, declared by her inventor be shot proof, was launched on the 30th, destined for the Atlantic coast. Her deck, just above water, was surmounted by an iron revolving turret, and pierced for only two heavy guns. She was a great curiosity of naval architecture, and was destined, in a few days, to avert disasters, such as might make patriots tremble to think of, startle the nations, and effect a complete revolution in naval warfare, hitherto unknown.

Mere skirmishing took place this month, compared with the movements about to be inaugurated. The Government saw that the great valley of the Mississippi must be wrested from the enemy. On account of the great strength of Bowling Green and Columbus, a plan for breaking the rebel line of defence by the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers had long been considered. These rivers discharge into the Ohio, and in the State of Kentucky are nearly parallel, and but little apart. In the winter they can navigate steamers of the first class. Where they cross the Tennessee line they are only twelve miles apart, and here the enemy had erected two strong forts-that of Donelson, on the Cumberland, and Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river. The possession of these forts would effectually turn both Bowling Green and Columbus, and their abandonment be made necessary. Fort Henry was to be first attacked, and Halleck, to make success sure, resolved to move against it by land and water, simultaneously. While Grant led a large land force from Cairo to attack the fort in flank and rear, Foote was ordered to engage the batteries in front with seven gunboats.

CHAPTER XII.

FEBRUARY, 1862.

EXPEDITIONS AGAINST FORTS HENRY AND DONELSON-FORT HENRY CAPTURED BY THE GUNBOATS UNDER FOOTE-FORT DONELSON INVESTED -ATTACKED BY FOOTE WITH THE GUNBOATS-GENERAL ASSAULT DETERMINED ON BY GRANT-THE ATTACK AND VICTORY-NEWS OF THE SURRENDER AT NASHVILLE-THE REBELS FLEE SOUTHWARD-CURTIS DRIVES PRICE FROM MISSOURI-BURNSIDE'S GREAT FLEET ATTACKS ROANOKE ISLAND-THE BATTLE AND VICTORY-CAPTAIN ROWAN ATTACKS THE REBEL FLEET AT ELIZABETH CITY-EDENTON CAPTURED-BURNING OF WINTON-CANBY ON THE RIO GRANDE.

On the 5th of February, the expedition against Fort Henry set out, sailed up the Tennessee river, and the infantry landed within four miles of the fort. Captain Andrew H. Foote reconnoitered, ascertained the position of the batteries, and removed torpedoes which had been sunk in the river to blow up the vessels. The fleet anchored at night, abreast of Grant's encampment, and the combined attack was to begin next morning. All was prepared for the great struggle about to commence, and, after hurrying up Grant with his forces, Foote advanced toward the fort at ten o'clock. Its situation was on a bend of the river, and such as, for some distance down, to command it. The long range of the guns was escaped by keeping the boats behind an island in the river, and the iron-clads moved slowly, and abreast, on the batteries, while the wooden vessels followed in the rear. In full view of the fort, the wooden vessels stopped, and the Cincinnati, St. Louis, Carondelet, and Essex, moved on slowly. In a moment, they were assailed by a storm of shot and shell, and the dense smoke which issued from the fleet told that the contest had commenced. The enemy having the range of our vessels, the fire of the fort was very effective. The Federal fire was slow and well aimed, and produced terrible effect on the guns of the enemy. rebel infantry fled from the screaming shells which exploded about them, but the garrison, under General Tilghman, kept up a steady fire, which was not slackened on the bursting of their heavy rifled piece, or the flying around them of sand

The

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CAPTURE OF FORT HENRY.

bags, and earth, and shrieking shells. The chief attention of the garrison was directed to the Cincinnati and Essex, which never flinched from the storm that poured on them, but, in the flame and smoke, pushed nearer and nearer to the fort, and sent their shot with such precision as to dismount one after another of the enemy's guns. Terror was carried to the inhabitants far inland, as the heavy reverberations shook the shore.

After an hour's severe conflict, a twenty-four pound shot was carried through a port hole of the Essex, crushing the head of young Britain, an aid of Porter's, who was watching the effect of his shot. The deadly missile sped on, crushing the massy oak planking round the machinery, and penetrating the boiler, from which the rushing steam, with fearful sound, affrighted the crew. All was disorder, and, in the agony of suffocation, some cast themselves into the river from the port holes, while the two pilots made desperate efforts to get out of the pilot-house. Stretching their arms in fearful distress through the look-outs, they fell at last, gasping and completely asphyxiated. Captain Porter was severely scalded, and twenty-eight officers and men besides, were killed or disabled by the effect of this single shot. The rebels sprang to their guns with redoubled efforts, when they saw the boat compelled to drop out of the battle. But there was no cessation of the fire, and Foote moved steadily on in his orbit of destruction, with the other three vessels, till he stood some six hundred yards from the fort. The enemy's guns were mostly dismounted, and Tilghman was obliged to surrender.

Victory was won in a battle of one hour and twenty minutes. Grant's road being muddy, he did not arrive before the capture of the fort. When he arrived, half an hour after, he assumed the command. Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing, was forty-eight. The Cincinnati was struck thirty-one times, the Essex fifteen, the St. Louis seven, and the Carondelet six. Between sixty and seventy men, and sixty invalids, surrendered, and twenty, mostly heavy guns, barracks, and tents for fifteen thousand men, fell into the hands of the victors.

On the fall of Fort Henry, public expectation looked to Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland, twelve miles from fort Henry, in a stronger and more important position, and with