, 1862-02-11
Gallant Conduct Of our Young
Western Navy.
RAPID CONCENTRATION OF FEDERAL
TROOPS.
SkirmiSh near Fort D0nelson,
Railroad Bridges Disabled.


=
CAIRO, February 3. 1862.
The telegraph has given you information
relative TO the attack upon Fort Henry, aad |
the surrender, and it only remains for me to
givc connected account Of the expedition,
The attack and surrender. The expedition was |
planned with great secrecy. Even the most
knowing Of the correspondents were in the |
dark as 10 what was intended, although those
who kept their eyes and cars open could very |
we'll guess what was going on
The expedition was planned by Gen. Hal |
lec1s, and although hc was at St. Louis, he had |
a big finger in the pie. General Cullom, chief |
OF his staff, came down here the other day On |
business with Gen. Grant and Commodore |
era1 movement in camp and at the leyee.
Steamboats, multiplied rather those which
were usually to be seen stcaming up and down
the Ohio and Mississippi, somehow
found it convenient to stop here,
and tho landing presented j grand
spectacle. The troops were ordered
to be ready Their provisions were placed On
board the steamer, then the troops went on
board. No one knew whittier they were
bound, but there were many shrewd guesses.
r1.,:'s, w 1ueeo's ee'en ~ Nv s"1uoa'7
'ru .nc sAeie' u1o..o up ~, o..o' S4 .uu '.sn
~ =. .slnus e1tn, ~ ,ne eone.us1on .13'AI ~
1enesess ''no y eo'ase'1''" 11'e's "e'e ~ ~
~" 4e4ne4n'e4 'n4' oAe - .ne su"'oa''
te" "ecAs s5o "1n' ~ ene .'nuessee 44s'4
"Ata @lse @oma'oools vi uouu, aAo tn'a. u"
shells were dropped into Fort Henry, e1iciting
no fepe' Liz leoels snFe"ns UNDERSTANDING
''''e :. "sis oA1s reconnaissance, aau lua' IL
Noolo noe oc "1suou u eApose lneH pos!uon'
hut not"1tnslana1nss tnes enose 70 DC silent,
eoAisnouoie Z oole ools1ueo I'LL neeu1ul In1or-
NATION ana proeceaed 10 make his af1anse-
Mcn1s accordingly
1hc plan proposed "as 1oT a Joint attack by
%alcr ana os 1ano, eat owing IN part 10 1he
:=allautry o1 the brave boys On Inc sunooa1s
and 10 Commodore fooee's admirable plan OF
attack, Which did not admit tue possibility OF
defeat also to the persistent energy which
Kept Aiz fset saralgh1 on, bent On one single
l-nrpose7 also owing to the distance the land
1orces were Obliged TO march, it was Whouya
naval victory
Io give a clear account, ono which can be
understood by those who have not visited the
'oS.n'ts' " WIZ Aa'e not s.uo1eo LIZ p'an.
WI ''.snp' oese''ption u 1ne place'
'"u NV" ln'l' lnc tenaessee 'tao lac eun'
berland hdTers enter the Ohio only ten miles
apart, and that they both run across the State,
and 1ifat 1t thc line between henfack5 anu
lehncs7ee' they arc only 1eh A1lcs apart
BotA arc raSlSab1c. Ihe tennessee Is navi-
gat'lc 1or large steamers to tnc Muscle Shell
Shoals III Alabama ihe Cumberland Is navi-
sahic Tor small steamers up as Ear as Mill
Springs, where Zolleofcr was defeated and
k11icd- Inc TWO streams arc IN 1act TWO nigh
ways opcnns n1o toe ncaf1 ol the bogus COL
| acdc1ac9- 1ney art most lHlportant avenues,
qul1c rs FsllnaDle as fs1iEoao Ahes-morc 50 III
| 'act. LOT po"aer VIII do" up orldses' ana
reocls csn tear up ralls' onl II Is lmrosslole
! 1or I'LL seeessla 10 Lear up tne 11sers' nc reo-
e's very wei onae1s.ooa TIC importance o1
| lnesc Streams, anu hno"1ng tnat Inc rivers
| eou4d hot nc DESTROYED, 1Aey oio 1he onlS tning
| Ii tnelr power, DULL 1o1ts, 10 stop our ao-
| vance nS these TWO saecWays. They chose
| TWO lnpor1ant 1ocah1les-one on each river,
both below the line OF railroad which connects
Columbus Will bowling Green. The point
on the Tennessee, Which was selected is near
the blui1, TWO or three miles above, or south
of Inc tennessee Inc Zinc bluh IS on the
"cst slde OF tho river, about twenty miles
from TIC eradge where the r:1ilroad crosses the
stream. The point on the Cumberland is al
Dover, twelve miles distant. The fort On the
Tennessee was named Fort Henry, that on the
Cumberland was named Fort Donelson.
foft Henry stands IN an admirable position
one strong by nature and improved by the
scientific skill Of engineers taught at Wcs'
font, at Inc expense oi the Government O.
1hc United States. As yon steam up the riyel
You come to long, narrow, and densc1y
wooded is'and-Panther Island. Just beyond
is Panther Greek, coming in from the East.
Here the river makes bend to the west, and
il the curve is nearly thrcc-tourths Of {. mile
wide From the bend to the head of the Is
land is mile and quarter, Just above the
bend there is another creek, which oprns into
pond or bayou on the eastern side. TIL
land brtwccn these creeks was selected for tht
defence OF the river: The arSles and faces O.
the tort we're constructed so that the 1ars5cl
portion Of the guns could be brought to bcal
upon the cntire distance to the island, and al
so down its eastern side, which is the mali
j n1x - ~ .L