Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-02-25
Our Gunboats at Fort Donelson.

Cur Gunboats at Fort Donelson.
The pArtielpa ton Of our gunboats in the ac-
tion, and the injuries they received, az Fort Don
eIson are thus described by correspondent Of
the Cincinnati, Ga.efte:
! a, We neared the fort the enemy commenced
/ pouring plungIng shot into US with great rl
! pidly. Their guns were well pointed and did
great execution \ thrty-two pound ball
struck the pilot house Of our vessel, piercing
the inch and-a-hall ron ana the fifteen inch
oak. Ia sinking the iron plale 1t VAS broken.
\ number Of large fragments scattered within
tie pilot house, mortaily wOundlng one Of the
pilots +. \ Riley Ol Cincinnati. striking th3
dag officer Commodore toJte, in the ankle, and
/ slightly lujluug Two other men. Immediately
giter this shot entered our deck IN the star
board side, and passing through il glanced
downward y the shell room striking the ships
cook, Lhas. v Baker ol Philadelpna in the
head, literally tearing the skull off Several
heavy ali, nOw glanced over the pilot house,
! piercing the cnlmueys aud carrying away the
chimney guys. These were followed by cou-
pie Of shots which struck our vessel Just above
water MARI.
1t was NV discovered that the wheel had
hecu injured by tie shot which Killed tho pilot
Two Of thc spikes we're broken ana the vessel
did not respond we'd to her helm. An attempt
was made ,0 steer Her by her relieving tackle,
but 81 was iuuud ,uaI the current was t O
strong The COumod re fearing lest lae ship
should torn brot1siIe 10 the enemy ordered
har % drop down slowly. The other boats We
iauud were .uierong quite as severely a. the
flal snp.
Une OF the guns Of lbe Cirouiel-f 1orsted
during The latter part oi the eusagsmcunt the
tNer ropes ID the Louisville wrre cut away,
rendering d almost uposslbeto to steer couecdy
the Pltt,burg received q number ol shot below
Nater mark causing h,l 90 leak very rapidly.
These two latter accidents happening almost
simultaneously with tbc injury % tn- ilag ship.
ryh-cr.d q withdrawal absolute y necre-Ary.-
lhc order was the gives tor the eutae lert 70
dt1p beyond the rang 90 the fort
lhoug. feeling that tie condition of our boats
demanFed ihis movement. Il was with ,reat re-
iuc,auce that the Comm iore reconci.ed himself
t1t The enemy nad almost crtsej iriug, hav-
ing gceu driven from the lower iofts auJ comre.
TEL to seek ry age beand guns t.llt bore but
paoIle uuon us. Quica, however. 50 notice our
disabled cuH4liIen. We had no sooner commenced
10 retire ;han they again ran To the lower bat
tere>. anu opened a brisk and eit ctlye ire The
iiFst ui these shots entered The port Dow of the
tdr1udelct cutting od tHu men head, and
wouuling wo other men.
Iue boats lctlred slowly 70 the point whence
they started for the scene Of action, about two
miles from the fort. The tr. D.. The enemy kept
pouring IN upon US from thirteen ,unS, while
our position 10 the river prc,eucd Us from using
more than halt that number. As we Goated
slowly down the current the rebels took courage,
aud Idly ,alhed tortn from their intrench-
meats. Hitherto the eutre space within the
fort appeared one sheet OF un;rodden snow but
hYc muutes did not elapse after the stoppage ct
our engines, when the whole scene WAS changed,
is it whr.wnd had swept over the hill and
removed nearly every trace o. the storm Il iuurs.
/ day-thc enemy force, Wild with enthusiasm,
had rushed down 70 the lower batteries IN such
numbers.
The battle lasted one hour unl seventeen mu-
utus The has; suot was Tired hy the 81 louls.
II Tell within q icw feet OF the river battery,
causing earta ana water IS fly INTO tur i,rj. At
ta.s about q uuuU.ei 81 the rebels started to run
up tue htl, ,ht. soun found. however Jlat We
had withdraw, and returned to ope an incl
iecJuai lire upol car disabled fleet
1t took Us ab8at halt "a haur or our deet 20
retire hal Jud tine range Of -le -ues Inc with
dta~al was managed wiJh Erea. >Nlll We per-
mi,tcI our boats t. dolt grnuedown ,he stream
IA the exact !ne 9i hatt.e .ui although the
steaums apparatus Of the 81 LyuIs and Louis
vile Wcse p0N -, no COLLISION of any kind
happened. rPsi anchor IA good orier.
Il Wa> iuU. j.. the Pittshurs Wt leaking
very 14,.j j, ana SIC was ordered 10 lie up Oh the
lalt l.na % .uc river.
iac =, ,.uuIs WAS struck sixty one times IN