Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-02-12
SECOND EDITION.
THREE O'CLOCK, r. M.
OfaeiaI Detailed Report by Commo.
dore foote OF the Capture
s>t Of Fort Henry. EsE
and Subsequent Operations on the
Tennessee River. ..fs
List of CasuaIties-Kined and Wounded. &c.

List of Casueltits-KiIled and w ounded Sc
CAIRO, ILL Feb. Z, ls62-Sir: I have the
honor to report that on the 9Th instant, al 10Y
O'Clock, p. m | made an attack on Fort Henri
on the Tennessee river, with the iron clad gun
boats Cincinnati. Commander stembel; the fag.
ship Essex, Commander Porter; Carondelet Com.
mander Walker; and st Louis Lieut. Command
ing Pauldlng; also taking with me the three old
gunboats Conestoga, Lieut.. Commanding Phelps.
the Taylor, Lieut. Commanding Gwinn; and the
Lexington, Lieut.. Commanding Shirk, as a sec
ond division in charge Of Lieut.. Commanding
Phelps; which took position astern and inshore
Of the armored boats, doing good execution there
In the action, while the arrnored boats were placed
In the first order Of steaming-approaching the
fort in parallel line.
The FIRE was opened at LOO Yards distance,
from the flagship, which was followed by the
other punboats, and responded 20 nv the fort As
we approached the fort under slow steaming, till
we reached within 600 yards Of the rebel batteries
the fire, both from the gun boats and fort increased
In rapidlty and accuracy Of range. At twenty
minutes before the rebel flag was struck the
Essex unfortunately received shot in her boilers
which resulted in the wounding, by scaldng, OF
20 officers and men, including Com. Porter as
will be seen in the ineIosed list Of casualties
The Essex then necessarily dropped out Of line,
asteTn, entirely disabled, and unable TO continue
the fight in which she had so CALAMITY partcipate
until the sad catastrophe. The firing continued
with undated rapidly and effect upon the three
gunboats, as they continued still to approach the
fort, with their destructive fire, until the rebel
flag was hauled down, after very severe and
closely contested action Of one hour and fifteen
minutes.
A boat containing the Adjutant General and
Captain Of Engineers came alongside after the
flag was lowered, and reported that Gen. LlOyd
Tllghman, the commander OF the fort, wished to
communicate with the Flag Oficer when dis
patched Com'r Stembel aud Lieut.. Commanding
Phelps with orders to hoist the American flag
where the secession ensign had been flying. and
to inform Gen. TllgEman that would see him
m no au He II
after the Union had been substituted by Com,r
Stembel fOE the rebel flag on the fort, and pos
session taken.
received the General, bis staff and some six
ty or seventy men as prisoners, and a hospital
ship containing sixty invalids, together with the
Fort and Ia effects, mounting twenty guns, most
ly Of heavy caliber, with barrack and tents, ca
pable Of accommodating Is, 900 me1. and sundry
articles, which, / turned the Fort and in
effects over TO Gen. Grant, commanding the
army 'on his arrival In Al hour after we had
made the capture, he will be enabled to give the
Government more correct statement Of, than
am enabled to communicate from the short time
had possession Of the Fort.
The plan Of the attack, so far as the army reach
ing the rear Of the fort to make denonstration
simultaneously with the navy, was frustrated by
the excessively muddy roads and high stage 0f
water preventing the arrival of our troops until
some time after had taken possession Of the fort
On securing the prisoners and making neces-
sary preliminary arrangements, 1 dispatched 1t
Com'dg Phelps with his division up the Ten
nessee river, as had previously directed and as
will be seen in the enclosed orders TO him. to re-
move the rails, and so far render the bridge of
railroad transportation and communication be-
tween Bowling Green and Columbus, and after
wards to pursue the rebel gunboats and secure
their capture II possible.
This being accomplished, and the army in DOS
session OF the fort, and my services being indis-
pensable at Cairo, left Fort Henry in the even
Ing Of the same day, with the Cincinnati, Essex,
and 81. Louis, and arrived here this morning
The armored gunboats resisted effectually the
shot Of the enemy. when striking the caseunate
The Cincinnati alag ship received thirty-one
shot, the Essex fifteen, the St Louis seven and
Carondelet six-kiIling one and woUnding nine
In the Cincinnati and killing enc In the Essex;
while the casualties in the latter from steam
amounted TO Is in number. The CaFOndelet I'D
st. Louis met with no casualties
The steamers were admirably handled by their
commanders and officers, presenting only their
bow guns to the enemy 10 avoid exposure of the
vulnerable parts Of their vessels. Lieut. Com
maEding Phelps, with his division, also executed
my orders very efectually, and promptly pro-
ceeded the river in their further execution after
the capture Of the fort In fact all the officers and
men calamity performed their duty and con-
sdering the little experience they have had under
hre, FAR more than realized my expectations.
Fort Henry was defended with tie most deter
mined gallantry by Gen. Tilgbman, worthy Of a
better cause, who, from his own account went
into the action with eleven guns Of heavy caIiber
bearing upon our boats, which he fought until
seven Of the number were dismounted or other
have the honor to be, very respectfully, your
eb't servant, A. II. FoOTB, Flag Officer.
TO Hon. GIDEON WKLLEs, Secretary Of the
Navy, Washington, ID. c.
THE CASUALTIES
Acting Commander Riley, of the gunbOat Is
sex, reports (Capt. Porter being unable to write
In consequence OF being Scalded) the following
List Of casualties on that vessel: Commander Por.
ter, Paymaster Lewis, and eleven others scaldcd;
one killed by cannon shot; I've killed by scaldiny;
and four missing. In addition TO the above there
were nineteen soldiers, Of which nine were
scalded and four have since died
Capt. Stembel, of the flag ship Cincinnati,
reports that the caEualties on board that vessel
during the bombardment of Fort Henry from
the enemy's fre were: Killed /; wounded a.
total 10.
SPECIAL ORDER, No. 3.
U. 5 GUNBOAT TAYLOR,
Padredh, FEB. 2, 1862.
Lieut.. Commanding Phelps will, as soon az
the fort shall have surrendered, and upon signal
from the flag ship, proceed with the COnestoga,
Taylor, and Lexington up the river 10 where the
railroad bridge crosses and IL the army st all not
already have got possession, he will destroy so
much OF the track az will entirely prevent its use
by the rebels.
He will then proceed as far up the river as the
stage Of water will admit and capture the enemy's
gunhoats and other vessels which might prove
available to the enemy.
A. n FooTE, Flag ofhcer,
Cong Naval Force in Western Waters.