The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-02-13


boat ESSEX.
Especial Dispatch 10 tho Cincinnati Gazette
CAIRO, Feb. Z.
The gnnboats Cincinnati St Louis and
Essex havo just returned from tho rebel
Fort Henry on the Tennessee river The
Stars and Stripes now wave over that place.
Yesterday at 1890 +. M.. The gunboats
Cincinnati, 81. Louis, Carondolet and Essex
the Tyler, Cohestcga and Lexington brine .
ing up the rear, advanced boldly aga,i.,,
the rebel works, going to the r.sht oi Pain.
tor Creek Island, immed'Atcly e.Joye which
on TIE cast shore u( t.,e river, stand the
toruncaii"ss, an. keeping consequently out
OF '"ngg iii they arrived at the head Of the
l..rnd and within mile Of the enemy. They
passed the Island in full view Of the rebel
guns; they steadily advanced, overy man at
quarters, every eyc strained 60 catch the
Bag-oiicer's signal gun FOR the commence
mcnt oi tho action. Our Inc Of baltic was
on the left, the ST. Louis uSXt, tho Carondo.
let next; the Cincinnati for the time beiuy
the flagship, having on board Flag Officer
\. II. Focte; next the Essex. We advanc-
cd in line, the Cincinnati boats length in
advance, when, at 1890 shc opened the bali
and immediately the three accompanying
boats followed suit TIC enemy were not
backward, give Az .umrabc response. and
the fight rage furiously for half hour.
We ste',d.ny advanced receiving and return.
storo.o Of shot and shell. On getting with
iG three hundred yards Of their works wo
came to stand, and poured into thom right
and left. II was magnificent to hear the
wh;stclus shot, tho chugs Of the zip zips,
and the cheering Of our men ~ our shots
took evident cifcCt
In tbs meantime, the Essex had been dis.
ahlcd and driftcd away from the scene of
Of tho engagement, leaving the Cincinnati
Carondlct and St Louis alone engaged. At
length, at precisely l.I0 the enemy struck
his flag and such cheering, such wild excite.
mcnt as seized the throats and arms and
caps of tho four on five hundred sailors of
the gunhoats--- well, imagine IL
After the surrender. which was made to
flag officer Footc by the robcl General Thigh.
man, who defended his fort in "A most de-
tcrmincd manner, wc found that the rebel
infantry oncampmcnt to the number of
some 4 900 or 5000, outside the fortiiica-
tons, had cut and run, leaving the rebel
artillery company in command of the fort
TO their fate.
The fort mounted seventeen guns, most
" 32 and 2lpoundcrs; one, however, a
magnificent l0-inch Coumbiad. They claim
TO have hut eleven effective guns, worked
by itty-iour mcn---the number, all told, Of
our pr gonors. Our shots dismounted two
Of thcHo cnemy's guns, driving them from
thoir embrasurcR, tore their cmbankmcnts,
and played smash with them generally.
They lost five killed and some ten badly
wounded. Ono of their riAcd guns, 32.
pounder, burst during the engagement.
badly wounding one Of thoir gunncrs, but
killing none.
Capt. Taylor of Nashville, rebel comman-
der of the Fort Artillery company, is now
our prisoner. He says this 32-pounder il
the gun that done their chief firing
Watts, formerly OF Cincinnati and of
Mason county, Ky; of the firm of Watts &
polburn, who was their ordnance oIlicor.
ia now also our prisoner. The infantry fed
from Their quarters, leaving bag and bagg
age. A vast deal of plundcr has fallen into
our hands and large and valuable quantity
Of ordnance stores. Tl-hman ia dishcarte |.
and thinks it one Of the most damaging
blows of tho war. In suyrendering to our
flag officer the rebel general rcmarkcd II
am glad to surrender to 80 gallant an officer -
Fag officer Footc replied: You do perfectly
right sir in surrender nG, but You should
have, blown my boats out of the water before
would have surrendered to- you
The land force, under command OF Con
eral Grant did not arrive at the fort till
after the rebels had surrendered. and their
army escaped. Our gunboats did splendid
fighting. | can make no distinctions
Tho Cine matt, however, was in the lead
flying the flag officers ponnant., the cncmy's
chief mark. Flag officer Footo and Capt.
Stemhcl crowded her dctiantly into the teeth
of tho cnomy's guns. She got thirty-one
shots, some of them going through and
through her. She expended ll0 shots.
Pringle Carradice, (scaman,) of Hamilton,
C. W., was killed outright VIM Lakemon,
(scaman) badly wounded.
Martin Hussoy Geo. Massey. Wm Curtis.
Michael Dalton and f. \. Arilla, all seamcn,
were slightly woundcr.
Capt o. II. Pratt, Second Master of the
boat, was slightly wounded.
The Essex was badly crippled. When
about half way through the fight and
crowding with a splendid heroism steadily
against tho enemy, ball went into her
part side forward, hut passing throught the
heavy bulkhcad and squarely through ono
of hor boilers, the escaping st an sca,d >d
and killed several of her crew, and badly
wounded many more, Capt Porter, his aid
J. F. Britton, Jr., aul Paymaster Lewis, were
standing on a direct line with that OF the
bali passing, Brtton being in tho center OF
| the group. The shot struck poor Britton
on the top of his head, scattcIinc his brains
and blood in every direction. The escaping
steam wont into the pilot-house, quickly
killing the two pilots, Ford and Mcbride
Many Of tho soldiers at the rush Of steam
| jumped overheard and were drowned.
| A detachment of one of the Indiana Regi
ments, taken on the Essex Just before enga
I giug the enemy, to act "a sharpshooters
under command Of Daniel Trotter, lost one
/ of their men Chas Stacker killed, Lemis
| Grants do. Scalded Lieut.. Trotter, Chas. f
! Eyb, J. Lump. Missing, Wm. Or,el, Benz
! Luhec. Lieut.. Trotter is now on the Tyler
AMI sa d to be badly scalded. David Wilson
tho gun Captain, being mortally wounded
worked his gun after tho accident, he being
ortally wounded at the time. Thorc wore
no casualties on board the ST. Louis OF
! Carondolet, thought the shot and shell fel
upon them as rain. The 81. Louis was com
manded by Capt, Leonard Paulding. who
personally stood upon the gun-deck ant
fought the guns to the last. Not mar
Ainched, and with cheer upon cheer, W,
sent tho zip zips among the enemy. Tn,
ST. Louis received seven shots and expended
800. have not seon the Carondolet sh,
not yet being at the fort. cannot say wha
damage was done her. She was near I,
our boat, however, and stood splendidly W
10 the work. Capt. Walkers shot wer,
neither few nor far between.
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How the Rebels will Like IL.