The Evansville daily journal., 1862-02-08
TILGHMAN DISHEARTENED |!
INTERESTING DETAILS !!


| CINCINNATI, Feb. 7th.-The Gazette and
Commercials Correspondents give the fol-
lowing account of the bombardment and
capture of Fort Henry:
Yesterday at IL: 80 P. NJ, the punboats
Cincinnati, st. Louis, Carondolet and Es-
sex, Tylor, Conestoga and Lexington
bringing up the rear, advanced boldly
against the rebel works to the right of
Painter Creek Island, Immediately above
which, on the east shore of the river, stands
the Notifications, and keeping out of range
to the head Of the island and within a mile of
the enemy. Passing the island in full view of
the rebel guns we steadily advanced, every
man at quarters, every ear strained to
catch the flag officers signal gun for the
commencement of the action.
Our line of battle was on the left. the st
Louis next, the Carondelet next, the Gin
cinnati-for the time being, the flag ship,
having on board flag officer Foote-and
next, the Essex. We advanced in line. the
Cincinnati boats length ahead-when,
at 1890 the Cincinnati opened the ball, and
Immediately the three accompanying boats
followed suit The enemy, not backward.
gave admirable responses, and the fight
ragged furiously for half hour. We stead |
lily advanced, receiving and returning
storms Of shot and shell, and getting with
IN one hundred yards of the enemy's works. |
we came to stand and poured into them
right and left. In the meantime the Essex
had been disabled and drifted away from the |
scene of action, leaving the Cincinnati, Ca |
rondeiet and st. Louis alone engaged At |
precisely 40 minutes past o'clock the ene- |
my struck his colors-and such cheering |
such wild excitement as seized throats, |
arms, and caps of the four or 1--WE hundred |
Of the nunboafa ha
after the surrender, which waf made to
flag officer Foote by Gen. Lloyd Tilghman.
who defended his fort in the most deter
mined manner.
We found the rebel infantry encamped |
outside the Fort numbering 4, 900 or 5000. |
had cut and run, leaving the rebel artillery
companies in command of the Fort, to their
fate.
The Fort mounted II guns, mostly 80
and 24-pOunders, one being q magnificent
lO-inch columbiad. Our shots dismounted
Two OF their guns, driving the enemy from
their embrasures. One of their rihed 80
burst during the engagement,
wounding one of their gunners. The rebels
claim to have had but IL effective guns.
worked by 54 men, the number, all told, of
our prisoners. They lost five killed and 10
badly wounded.
AAOAJ ASAt III IQ6lf
light. vast deal of plunder has fallen
nto our hands, including a large and valu-
'bie quantity of ordnance stores. r
General Tilghman is disheartened, and {
links it one of the most damaging blows
# the war; ~ +
In snrrendering to flag officer Foote, the | i
ebel General remarked :: q" / am glad to 7
arrender to SO gallant an officer" Flag
'aicer Foote replied, +" You did perfeetiy {
9ht, sar, IN suTregdermg, but you should ]
la0e btoaon my boats cat Of aVGter, before I
youtd haze surrendered to you p
In the engagement, the Cincinnati was
q the lead and flying the flag officers ,
ennant, was the chief mark. Flag officer I
poote and Capt. Stemble crowded her de- q
antly into the teeth of the enemy's guns. c
'he got 81 shots, some of them going COM
letely through her. a
The Essex was badly crippled when about !
alf through the fight. In crowding q
teadily against the enemy, ball entered
er port side, through a heavy bulkhead,
nd squarely through one of her boilers, 0
he escaping steam scalding and killing "
sveral of her crew. Capt. Porter, his aid,
. P. Britton, and Paymaster Lewis, were a
landing in a direct line Of the balls pas
age, Britton being In the center of the
roupe. The shot struck Britton on the
'p of the bead, scattering his brains in
very direction. The escaping steam went cs
Ito the pilot house, instantly killing Nc 4,
ride and Ford, pilots. Many of the sailors =
the rush OF steam, jumped overheard and p
ere drowned. N
The Cincinnati had one killed and six CT
'ounded- The Essex, six Seamen killed,
vo officers and seventeen men wounded
nd five missing. No casualties on the st. q
ouis or Carondelet, though shot and shell
II upon them like rain. of
The st. Louis was commanded oy Capt N
eonard Paulding, who stood upon the gun @
eek and fought to the last. Not a man
lnched, and cheer upon cheer sent shot | be
i'd shell anon the enemy. @
II