Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-02-28

smell anu O4-pOunU TlHe O0llS, WITH auHllT;l-
bic precision, cheering as they fought their
guns, and doing great execution on the enc.
mys works, dismounting their guns on the
lower batteries. and driving the rebels like
frightened sheep from their pens. But the
diagram will tell our readers what the first
glance Of the locality itself declared to the cx-
perienced eye of Commodore Footc. The
gunboats were fighting against fearful odds,
the long oblique middle range Of heavy guns
raked the feet terribly as they came on, the
angle giving them the least advantage from
the plating and dcfenses. At Fort Henry the
boats came up, exposing only their bows as
the smallest mark to the enemy, here their
broadside was exposed. Soon after the fight
commenced, shot from the enemy's water
battery carried away the flag staff Of the ST.
Louis; almost the next shot took away the
chimney guys of the same boat But it was
flag staff for flag staff; a few moments later
away went the rebel bunting from the fort,
its staff cut by a ball from the st. Louis who
thus avenged the indignity offered to herself
A little later and the Louisiana was struck
by a 64-pound shot from the right of the
middle tier of batteries, which broke her rud-
der post, rendering her unmanageable At
this time the boats were all held under easy
steam, just stemming the current to prevent
drifting. Another shot killed William Hin
ton, the pilot, in the pilot house of the Caron-
delet, and 80, nearly the same instant,
came crashing into the pilot house of the st.
Louis, mortally wounding one of the pilots,
F. A. Riley, injuring two other pilots, and
also wounding the brave Commodore himself,
across whose left foot large fragment Of a
splintered oaken beam fell, severely crushing
and bruisng it. OF the four in the pilot
house at the time only one escaped injury
| will add here that Commodore Foote's in
jury is of such nature that care for the
wounded member requires him TO use
crutch, which the brave officers regrets, say
ing that but for this needful exposure no orc
would learn that he was hurt. He will soon
be on both pins again however. This mis-,
chicvous shot passed through the pilot ot-house
and knocked into pi one Of the wheels ofthc
St. Louis, which, like sea-bird with bro
ken wing, swung around and became unman.
ageable in the current. Here, then, were
three vessels disabled-thc Louisiana with
her rudderpost shattered, the Carondelet pi-
lotless, and the st. Louis with her wounded
whcel--all in swift current under the fire
of rebel batteries. To continue the fight
longer was useless, and the rudderlcss boats
must be called out of the fight The brave
crews saw this necessity unwillingly and
burned to continue their advantage gained
Said Com. FQotc, !" If they had not crippled
my boats, I sho,iid hare Md possession Of tn.
Fort in ten minutes more" The gunboats
had passed up to within two hundred yards
Of the fort. The enemy had been driven
from the lower battery, and their fire had
| ala ckpn naA R,,t lad
the engines were stopped and the boat foated
from their position. The enemy saw what
had happened, and they rushed back to their
guns with the same speed with which they
had deserted them, which is saying great
deal. Their fire vas redoubled, but our gun.
ners did not leave without parting shot
One heavy shell from the Carondcet was
seen to alight in the middle battery. and with
its explosion away from its carriage went
gun, and into the air went dust, splinters and
fragments of rebel gunners, and the spot o.
the carnage was distinctly to be traced whcr
two days later the Stars and Stripes floatct
over the captured fort
The feet retired in good order and anch
ored little over mile and half below tn,
fort. Old man-ofwar's men say the figh
was the hottest they had ever seen. Com
modore Footc, who is no chicken, says tEs
the firing was the most terrific he had ever
seen. .r..-...... #. r... .r....
TIE FIGHT OF TIE LAND FORCES. -
The army made no movement on Friday G
consequence, but waited any demonstration
the rebels might make. They were elatet
with their repusc of the gunboats, and un
doubtedly concluded that, they would eithe
repulse the army, or if not that they woul,
cut their way through and escape to Clarks
vile.
Prepared to do either, as circumstance
might decide, at six o'clock on Saturda,
morning they appeared in solid column upoI
the road, which seems partly parallel TO tn
creek, at Netherlands right. 1t was fe,
minutes past six when our pickets exchange
shots with their skinnshers. -
Immediately the whole division was astir
waiting for what might turn up. As tn
rebels ncarcd our forces they dcpIoycd an
formed i'm line Of battle, making the mos
furious attack upon the right, also scndin
their Mississippi sharpshooters, as one Of tn
Captains, now prisoner, informed me, t
the left to throw the 1th and Goth regiment
into confusion.
1t was about seven o o'clock when the firin
began OH the right, and in few minutes
was running like train of powder on floor
along the entire line. The rebels advance,
with dcter1nination--not in regular line, bu
in the guerilla mode-availing themselves o
the trees and undulations of the ground. -
Their design was to cut the division at tn
center, turn the regiments on the right com
posing Oglesby's Brigade up sgainst the creel
and capture them. But their movements t,
that end were foiled. The regiments at the cen
ter being pressed, after standing hot fire
begun gradually to fall back, which rcnderet
it necessary for Oglesby to do the same a
he separated, from the division, and the en-
tire right wing Of the division accordingly
swung back, slowly at first. Dreaser's AM
Scbwar.z's batteries were brought into posi-
tion as soon as possible, and for while Their
was very heavy fire, accompanied by con
tinued rolls Of muskctry. If one were t,
Judge by sound alone, all battles would b.
terrific; but when fight is wagc,l in forest
the trees high up in the branches usually
suffer most There was, however, consider
able loss on both sides q: this point.
And now occurred one Of those blunder
common in warfare. The enemy pressin,
hard upon our forces, Gen. McClernand sen
Major Brayman for reinforcements He rod'
1 r,11v ts,t the o1 ,,v,n,, Hr,(t,