Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-05-15

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cut to peiees while entering on board their
transports. Every effort Of the enemy to
bring his artillery to bear on our columns was
defeated by the storm of iron which assailed
him from the boats. His pieces were dis.
mounted and bis horses and men swept down
as fast asthey were placed in position.
A great deal has been said abou, he OF rigin
OF the proposition TO take possession of the
Tennessee river The credit of originating
the idea Of compaisn in that direction has
been claimed first for one and then ior another
military commander. desire that impartial
justice may be done to every man and acting
upon the intention 10 10 Justice. / must he
permitted to say, that so far as | can learn,
the project OF turning he enemy's fanks by
penetrating the Tennes sse' and Cumberland
rivers originated with Commol0r Foote. The
great rise OF water in those rivers was piovi-
dental, and with the qsick of military
genius he saw at once The advantage that il
might secure TO our rms. Accordingly he
sent to General Halleck, at St Louis, the
| following dispatch:
CAIRO, January 2S,1862
General Grant and myself are of opinion
that Fort Henry and the Tennessee river
can be carried with four iron clad gunboats
and troops, and he permanently occupied.
Have we your authority to move for that
purpose when ready?
H.FOOTE.
To this dispatch no reply was vouchsafed,
but an order was subsequently sent to Gen.
eral Grant to proceed up the Tennessee river
with his troops under convoy of the armed
flotilla, and attack Fort Henry, directing
| Genera Grant to show to Commodore Foote
his orders to this effect. Commodore Foote
was at once ready for the expedition, and
advised the Department TO that effect, in the
following dispatch ........
UNITED STAETs GUNBoAT CoNEsToGA,
PADUcAH, February 8, 1862
SIR have the honor to inform you that
left Cairo yesterday with this vessel, having
ordered the armored eunboats Essex, Caron-
delet, and CincInati, and St. Louis to precede
me to Paducah, and arrived here last even
| ing.
To-day l purpose ascending the Tennessee
river with the four new armored boats and
the old eunboats Taylor, Conestoga, and
Lexington, in convoy of the troops under
GsnsEa Grant sa 6tsp eF the Of sS eaRn sh
1 e~-AN-
the railroad bridge connecting Bowling Green
with Columbus. The transports have not
yet arrived, although expected last night from
Cairo, which causes detention, while in the
mean time, unfortunately, the river is falling.
| am ready with the seven gunboats and we
shall be able to silence the guns at Fort
Henry and its suri oundings, Notwithstanding
| have been obliged, for want of men, to take
from the FIVE boats remaining at Cairo all the
men except sufficient number to man one
gunboat for the protection of that importan
post.
have left commander Kitty, as senior off
Ger, in charge of the guns and mortar boat
at Cairo, ordering him, with the assistance o
Fleet Captain Pennock, to use every effort II
obtaining men and forwarding the early
equipment of the mortar boats. 1t is pecull
arly unfortunate that we have not been able
to obtain men for the flotilla, as they only arr
wanting to enable me to have, at this moment
eleven full. manned, irstead ofseven partially
manned gunboats ready for efficient opera
,ions at any point. The volunteers from tn
Army to 90 in the gunboats exceed the mum
Der of men required but the deran gemen
of companies and regiments in permittin
!, them 10 leave, is the reason assigned for nc
, more than fifty of the number having bee
thus far transferred to the fotila.
enclose copy of my orders to the com
, mauders of the gunboats, in anticipation Q
the attack OH Fort Henry: also copy {
orders to Lieutenant Commanding Phelp:
who will have more especial charge OF tn
old gunboats, and operate in less expose
position than the armored boats.
4 / have the homer to be, very respectful,
your obedient servant.
A. FOOTE, Flag Officer
= Commanding Naval Forces
on the Western Water
Hon. GIDEON WELLEs,
r Secretary of the Navy, Washington, ID.
e P. S.-Several transports with troops ha,
d just arrived. A. ID.
It l proceed up the Tennessee early in Il
;. morning, and will there make the Cincinna
d my flag ship. A. ii.
t. On the proceeding day he had issued Il
following order to Lieutenant Phelps:
# Especial Orders, No. 8.
:. UNITED STATES GUNBoAT TAYLOR,
: PADUcAH, February, 2, 1876
Lieutenant Commanding Phelps will
~ soon as the fort shall have surrendered, ,and u
on signal from the flag ship, proceed with Il
h Conestoga, Taylor, and Lexington, up tt
=. river to where the railroad bridge crosse
p and il the army shall not already have 2
oi possession, he will destroy so much OF Il
At track as will entirely prevent its use by Il
.r rebels.
,t He will then proceed as far up the river
d the stage OF the water will admit, and captu
.. the enemy's gunboats and other vessels whl
as might prove available TO the enemy.
" All FOOTE, Flag Officer,
a Commanding Naval Forces
ee on the Western Wate
go The fleet, consisting of the iron-clad boa
e, Essex, Carondel.t, Cincinnati, and St. Lou
I'd and the three wooden boats Taylor, Lexn
~ ton, and Conestoga proceeded 10 Fort Hen
ro and reduced it in one hour aud twenty mi
utes, Commodore Fooe being, as is his VOL
On in the fore front of the battle. 1t appes