Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-17
Sunday Night Dispatches,
From Fort DoneIson.

Sunday Night Dispatches.
From Fort Donelson.
ST. Louis, Feb. l6.-Special to the Democrat,
dated Cairo l6, p NJ, saws:
Commodore Foote reached here at twelve
o'clock last night on board the gunboat Comes
tOga.
He stormed Fort Donelson Friday afternoon
with the gunboats ST. Louisville, Pittsburg, Ca
rondelet, Tylor and Connestoga.
After fighting little over an hour he with
drew.
Fifty four men were killed and wounded on
the gunboats.
Pilots Riley and Hinton of the ST. Louis, are
among the wounded
Commodore Foote, while standing on the
pilot house of the st. Louis, his flag ship, was
slightly wounded
The St. Louis was hit sixty-one times.
Two Of our gunboats were disabled.
The Tylor and Connestoga remained out of
range Of the enemy's guns.
The line of battle was as follows:
The st. Louis on the right, next the Louisville,
then the Pittsburgh and the Carondelet on the
left
The enemy's firing was very accurate
They had three batteries, one near the water,
one fifty feet above this and third fifty feet
above the second.
The upper battery was mounted with four
eighteen Founders. This one was held in reserve
until our boats got within four hundred yards of
the fort.
Our fire was directed principally at the water
battery. lr
One of the enemy'S guns burst and number
was dismounted.
The enemy could be seen carrying their dead
out of the trenches.
All the gunboats were left up the Cumberland
except the Connestoga and she left there yester-
day morning
A rihed gun on the CarOndelet burst, killing
six men.
The rudder of the gunboat Pittsburg was shot
away
The mortar boats left here yesterday morning.
The above statements of the fight were re-
ceiyed from gentleman who was aboard the st.
Louis during the engagement
LATER
A gentleman who left Fort Donelson yesterday
afternoon at O'Clock and reached here this
morning says the fight had been going on all day
yesterday.
The right wing of the enemy's Notifications
have been taken and the stars and stripes were
floating over them.
The forces we're breast to breast and the fight
was to be resumed.
CAIRO, Feb l6-The steamer Minnehaha ar
rived here from Fort Donelson, having left the
fort at O'Clock last evening, bringing military
mail and dispatches, and $50 of the wounded to
the hospital at Paducah.
The fight commenced on Thursday, and on
Friday and Saturday the contest was desperate
The Illinois 18th regiment suffered severely, and
the Iowa 7th sustained considerable loss.
Swartz's battery, which was taken by the ene-
my, was recuptured by our men.
Two Colonies were badly wounded, and two
killed.
The loss is heavy on both sides.
The upper fort was taken at 4 o'clock, and the
Union flag now floats over il.
Our troops behaved with great galantry.
The gunboats St. Louis, Louisville and Pitts
burg were disabled.
The Mnnehaha met the mortar boats at Padu
ST. Louis, Feb. l6.-Dispatches received al
Headquarters say:
All the gunboats were pretty effectually disa
bled except one.
Com. Foote was wounded twice. but not ia
tally.
The upper redoubt was taken by our troops
1t commands Fort Donelson. and Gen. Grant tel
egraphs that he would be able to capture tina
fort to day, Sunday
A special TO the Democrat, dated in rear For
Donelson, Friday afternoon. says;
Last night was very severe on Cur troops, rail-
having set in which turned TO snow. tits freezing
10 day and old citizens say they rarely have sucl
cold weather in this latitude.
The more see of the fort the more convinced
| il can't be reduced without terrible
battle
It's rear seems almost impregnable.
The outer works and bastions Of the fort ar,
located on ridges from $50 to 200 feet high, GOV
cred with dense timber and underground.
Upon similar range of hills outside these
our army is drawn up in line OF battle, com
pletely encircling the enemy from Cumberland
south Of the fort TO the back water of a stream
which TANKS the fort on the North.
Gen Oglesby, who has the extreme right. las
night pushed forward his brigade to the Cumber
land, and has opened battery commanding tn
river, which will effectually prevent the arrival o.
any more reinforcements. In fact, we have then
completely surrounded, and can complete the jol
at our leisure.
A formidable attempt was made last night Il
take Taylor's battery BY the enemy, who ap
preached under cover of darkness but they wer
CALAMITY repulsed by the Doth Illinois.
Considerable skirmishing occurred during th
night, both forces endeavoring in the darkness t
crawl in upon the other
This morning IL was discovered that the enem
had placed logs on top of their breastworks
leaving a little space for them to shoot through
and much diminishing their risks from the uner
ring aim Of our sharpshooters. M
Casualties among our artillery thus far yer
small
Yesterday afternoon after the storning part
had retired, and when the rebels had been thickl
crowded together to repel the assault, Capt. Tay
lor opened on them with shell with terrible effec
His practice was superb, creating the creates
CONSERVATION IN their ranks and causing them {
take refuge in their entertainments.
The gunboat assault was terrific, exceedin
even the Fort Henry bombardment. Ii Taste
about an hour and half ~ ..,sr.l -
The enemy has fronting on the river two bal
teres, the lower one Of nine and the upper {
four guns besides ten inch columbiad.
The wooden grnboats, Tylor and Connestogs
engaged in the fight. aa
Commodore Foote prononnees the engagemer
the hottest he ever witnessed. Ht
Seven Of the nine gucs in the lower tier of Oh
enemy's battery had been silenced and eyerythin
was apparently progressing favorably when III
rudder chain Of the Carondelet was severed.
The Pittsburg was damaged in the wheel so I
4 TO be nn able 10 stem the current and the pile
house of the St. Louis was knocked away KILN
the pilot and slightly wounding several other
among them Com. FO0te. The aeet then va
obliged retire. ~
One of our shells struck Immediately rnd'
one Of the enemy's guns throwing tae gun an
the bodies OF the gunners high IN the air.