The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-02-14
Fall of Fort Henry.

This work situated on the Tennessee
River, and built since the commencement
of the revolution, has fallen into the
hands OF the Federals. II was work OF
some Importance, and the news Of its fall
came very near throwing some Of the
auondam Union men into ecstacies.-
Notwithstanding their professions, the
hearts of most of them are where their
carcasses ought to De, in the region Of
Lincolndom. We copy an article from
the Nashville Union and American. of
the 9Th, in regard To the fall Of Fort
Henry:
Intelligence reached this Office yester-
day morning by special dispatch from
GAINESVILLE, that Fort Henry, on the Ten
nessee river, in command Of Gen. Lloyd
Tilghman, of Kentucky, had fallen on
Thursday into the hands of the Federal
army, after brisk engagement OF two
hours duration with his gunboats, lasting
from IL o'clock M. to P. NJ.
Further dispatches, received during the
day, fully confirmed this intelligence, and
announced the safe arrival of the body of
the garrison, composed of 5000 men, at
Fort Donelson, eleven miles distant on
the Cumberland river. at ii o'clock on
Thursday night. Gen. Tilghman, Maj Gil
mer, Capt. Miller and eighty officers and
men, were surrendered with the Fort,
having remained in the Fort to cover the
retreat of the forces. which we are inclin
ed to believe, was inevitable from the
high water Of the Tennessee, running al
most into it and threatening hourly to in
undate it, thus making ii slaughter
pen" for the shells of the enemy, whose
boats could take position TO completely
command it. The location of this fort
was unfortunately made, during the peri
cd of Kentucky neutrality, when the
President of the Confederate States and
the Governor of Tennessee felt bound TO
scrupulously respect the position of our
sister State, and before the forces Of Lin
coin had begun to make camping grounds
of its soil. Under these circumstances. il
was found necessary by the Engineer who
located it to refrain from occupying an
eminence on the opposite bank of the
river, which lies in the State of Kentucky
and which commands the fort. 1t was
deemed however sufficiently strong to re-
sist any force which might probably be
brought against it by the enemy by water,
the Lincoln Government not having then
devised the system of iron-clad gun fleets
which it has since adopted. The proper
location for our fort ought to have been
on tho "narrows" between the Tennessee
and Cumberland rivers, where the two
rivers approach each other in their wind
ing courses at a distance of only three
miles, the intervening tongue of land be.
ing elevated and commanding both rivers
The considerations we have mentioned
prevented its location at that point. Fort
Henry is an elaborate and we'll construct
ed earthwork, and had it been in com.
manding position would have excited the
admiration of all engineers. We cannot
describe it for want Of sufficient informa-
ton as toits construction and approaches.
1t was however generally regarded by
military men, in consideration Of its sit
uation, as weak fertilization which was
compelled to fall whenever it was APP.
preached in sufficient force by land and
water. 1t was provided with some of .he
best guns in the service both rifed and
smooth bore, ten sos, one eight inch CO.
lumbiad and one l28-pounder rified gun