Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-30

+ -, TENNESSEE, May Gth, 1862
r Ny FRIEND D.: Although know you take
due interest in the great events which are crowd
s ing the history OF this eYentful year. ais
r know that you could not form any Judgment q
the very severe blow inflicted upon US by tn
s tall OF Fort Henry. Perhaps this brief state
nent OF the work which formed the defense O
the Isnnes g liver will both aid and interes
you. .
Without vexing the question whether the loca
ton ct tbst work was fixed by the colonel o
engineers OF ths State corps, now dfstin uisbef
bngsdier-general in the Confederate army or by
civil engineer who was employed by the mill
tsry bureau, of the Safe of Tennessee, we will
simply say it was quite unfortunate one and
pass to the consideration e the work itself II
was designed With the most exact regard for sci
entitic principles FASHIONED Irregular penta.
goD, surrounded by pass twenty feet wide and
twelve feet deep. This large mass of material
vas handled and thrown into perfect constructive
! Iorm Ia the short space OF two months, by the
I the original design contemplated In Ssptem-
| Der the fort mounted seven 32-pounders. fye Of
which bore upon the river, and two partially
/ commanded the land approaches. ColoueI A.
| Heimsn, commanding the post, represented the
! defense.ess condition of the garrison and the
facts that the fort, besides being under the high
water level, was also commanded by several
/ nights circumj AGENT and on both sides of the
! river.
This representation caused the increase of the
garrison by single regiment the 4th Missis-
sippi. All things else retained the eonditio of
| helplessness aud hopelessness, which mast have
\ struck every visitor, until ths defense Of the
rivers, Cumberland and Tennessee, was devolved
upon General Lloyd Tilghmau by the War De-
psTtment. This was toward the end of Novem-
/ Der. The season of high foods occurred in
Jsnuary or February. 1t was too lste to do
anything new, and his quick sagacity directed
all kis energy to make OF what he had the best
| possible.
From the day of his first visit to the fOrtiics-
tions to the day of the fall, well directed &C
/ tivity was inspired into the whole command
! Fort Henry Itself was rendered more strong by
| the constructions of enbrasures on the river
| font, the merlOns being composed of sand bags
Il can safely be asserted that without this most
important addition to the fort it could not have
been held under the enemy's fire for fifteen
| minutes. The adaptation Of this new feature
/ to the work, as it then stood, was at once bold
| n design and difficult in execution, even to ex-
| perieneed engineers. He next extended a cir
cumvailati0n from the margin of large
/ swamp on the north to a similar natural defense
| on the south Of the fort This was IN cOntem-
plation of strong array of defense An interior
! system of rife pits for a smaller number of
troops was adjusted with the ext-rior SO as to
/ form complete design These systems oceu-
/ pied the threatening nights on the right bank Of
the river. On the west bank Of the river are a
! large and still more threatening group Of hills
! dem anding more extensive work and thor
! oughly scientific defense. . .a..
| Forests were to be felled, convenient roads
! built, and work capable OF mounting heavy
! guns must be thrown up rapidly. Sickness had
! considerably reduced the strength of the 4th
| Mississippi. General Tighmsn appealed to the
| governors Of Mississippi Alabama and Tsnnes-
see, to bestir themselves in defense of the great
river, which, once lost must open up these States
to the enemy.
AIsbama responded, sending regiment and
about five hundred slaves for the week. IN
luckily, these were scarcely fitted in their quar-
ters, when a reconnaissance in strong force, land
ing below the mouth OF Blood creek, and ad
vanced TO Murray-sOme sixteen miles distant
which suggested the propriety of sending
back this force o. labor TO the plantations. The
lOth Tennessee were than placed at the work,
| aud with its system Of outer rife pits, nearly
completed all when the landing of the attacking
army, under General Graut, suspended ali
working operations.
While tue eatthworks boing thus vigorously
prosecuted, guns were procured and were being
mounted with unWonted dispatch. At every
| step of the prosecution, di dificulties more aad
| creased energy and by superior engineering
skill, Of which General Tilgbman has given this
STATE several splendid and enduring monuments.
! The armament was now increased from seven TO
| thirteen guns of heavy caliber, eleven OF which
bore upon the channel.
In the meantime, at DlnelsOn, works upon q
more gigantic scale were being pushed forward
by the temporary aid of q large slave force from
adj AGENT counties of Kentucky and Tennessee
n, Fba r,4I.
seemed to be left nothing undone which could
promote the defensibility of the works under
charge Of General Tilghman; aud to in 1gments
mstUred by the experience OF the short but
stubborn fight at Fort Henry, and the long and
bloody siege at DonelsOn, there is now presented
not a single advantage which had been over
looked. This is equally remarkable and sig
nifeant.
After many and urgent appeals to every
quarter interested in the defense of these rivers
there were at Fort Henry Just prior to the 9th Of
February, a force of about $500 men, the ma
jority Of which were raw leVies recently organ
ized end miserably armed Yet in this depart.
ment the energy of the general was nDhaging
and amid all the severe lsbors in which they
were engaged, he drilled the regiments IN the
great 6eia exercises of the battalion and brigade
While the forces destined for the attack upon
Fort Henry were debarking near and below the
/ 1
| means of sscertsining their numbers, and his
estimate proved singulArly correct General
I Grants land forces consisted of 10000 msn on
. | the right bank of the river, and 6000, under
General Smith, on the left-destined to reduce
and occupy Fort Hieman and so hold Fori
Henry, which the former very well commanded.
The feet of Commodore Foote consisted OF Eve
. ironcisd gunbosts, two wooden vessels, and
three small but strong tug-boats Sach was the
. I. ~ -,fc ~
/ ton of the small but brave and devoted defend
ers of Fort Henry.
| In the meantime, enc Of the weak features in
! the location was being developed with fearful
and ominous rapidty-the waters were upon tia
terreplein, and rising still higher. It was vel
: known to General Tilghmsn that this was q
0 great advantage to the enemy, and that he would
! not fail to embrace it. Il had not been among
the probabilities that the fort could be held al
any time against so large feet of guns, and il
was not now possible to hold It not to be sur
5 rendered without obstinate and judi6ious resist
: snce He knew full well the value of time t
both Generals A. S. Johnston and L. Polk also
q that a portion Of his command was to be s8YeC
and sent to the defense of DOnelson, and thest
f obieets could be gained only by bold and de
! termined, even though a hopeless resistance
3 But few of the men or officers in the fort haC
ever been under FIRE, and this fact, with the OBJ
lects lust named, Impressed th5 geneI8i VIII IN
! necessity of taking active command during th
, engagement
3 Pending that terrific bombardment, bis firm
2 courage, his cool, calm temper, his clear quicl
! Judgment inspired all with the FIRE, if not, alas
3 with much of the skill Of veterans The varia
!. ton of few seconds in the regularity of th'
; enemy's fire, he would perceive and take the oc
: easion to encourage the gunners. AT one tint
e it seemed as if the feet was about to wayer anC
o retire, but they soon renewed with increased fs
rocty the unequal fight which seemed to have
paused only to take breath. 1t was at this mo
e ment General Tilghman wished for fifty fresi
+ men from the 10th Tennessse-for the few ex
hsusted arlillerists were fast yielding under th'
d dreadful work. They were on the retrest and
; beyond reach. The worn out men fOught fO
h two hours and ten minutes with unabsted eour