Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-02-13
Fort Henry.

A movement is on foot to attack
Fort Henry, situated on the Tennes.
see river in Kentucky, near Tonnes
see line, and now garrisoned by about
5000 rebel troops. The fort has II
heavy guns. and is supported by a
battery of two guns planted on the
opposite side of Tennessee river. The
reconnaissance of this Fort made some
days ago by the gunboats and by the
land forces under Gen. Smith, will in
all probability be speedily followed
by its complete demolition and the
capture of large number of prison
crs.
Some six or eight regiments are
concentrated at Smithland, at the
mouth of the Cumberland river, among
them the Iowa 18th. 1t is thought that
the gunboats will proceed up the Ten
nessec, while the transport steamers
will take the troops up the Cumber-
land to a point near the Tennessee
line, whence they will march to the
Fort, and cooperate with the gun.
boats in making the attack.
LATER.
A despatch from Paducah, 4th inst,
says the transports which left Cairo
on the Sd, with troops on board, pro-
ceeded up the Tennessee, and reached
a point ten miles this side of Fort
Henry about daylight, where they
found the gunboats St. Louis, Essex,
Carondolet, and Cincinnati lying at
anchor. The troops on board the
new Uucle Sam, Illinois and Alex.
Scott, were landed four miles above,
where the balance Of the troops were
also landed as fast as they arrived.
The gunboats weighed anchor and
steamed up to within gunshot range
of the Fort, where an Interchange of
shot and shell was had between our
boats and the Fort, about twenty
shots being fred on each side. The
shooting was very accurate on both
sides. One shot from the Fort struck
the upper wooden cabin of the Essex
and tore hole in her. The damage
was, however, but trifing, as the
cabin was but a temporary affair.
Several Of our shells burst in the Fort
and immense damage is supposed to
have been done.
A powerful Union force encamped
on the heighths of the east bank of
the Tennessee river, just beyond the
range Of the enemy's guns.
The transports, after landing their
human cargoes, returned to Paducah,
where they took on rcinforcements
and proceeded as speedily as possible
to the point of debarkatioD, near Fort
Henry.
During the fire between the gum
boats and Fort, the enemy used FIVE
guns only one Of them, a rified
twcnty-fOur FOUNDER, reached the
boats.
STILL LATER.
A Cairo despatch Of Feb. It'll saws
Fort Henry, Tennessee river, surren-
dered yesterday at 2 o'clock, after
determined resistance. The fight,
which lasted one hour and twenty
minutes, was conducted by the gun
boats Cincinnati, st. Louis and Essex.
The Cincinnati fired l25 rounds, re.
ceived thirty-four shots from the re bel
guns, and only one man killed. The
st. Louis fired Ito rounds, and recciv-
ed no damage. The Essex was dis
abled at the tenth round by a ball
striking her boiler. Thirty-two were
killed an scalded to death. Capt. Por-
ter was badly scalded, but not dan
gerously.
Two rebel Generals, one Colonel,
two Captains, and one hundred pri-
Yates were taken prisoners. The fort
ted seventeen guns.
The land forces did not reach the
scene of action for two hours after the
surrender.
After the surrender, which was
made to Flag Officer Footc by General
Lloyd Tilghman, who defended his
fort in most determined manner, we
found that the rebel infantry. encamp-
ed outside the fort, numbering 1000
or 5000, had cut and run, leaving the
rebel artillery company in command
of the fort TO their fate. The fort
mounted II guns, mostly 80 and "a
Founders, one being a magnificent ten
inch columbiad. Our shots dismount-
cd two Of their guns, driving the ene-
my from the embrasures. One of
their rifled 32.pounders burst during
the engagement. wounding one of the
gunners. The rebels claim to have
had but eleven effective guns worked
by fifty.four men, the number all told
of our prisoners. They lost five killed
and ten wounded. The infantry left
everything in their flight. A vast
deal of plumber has fallen into our
hads, including large and valuable
quantity of ordnance stores. Gen.
Tilghman is disheartcned, and thinks
it one Of the most damaging blows of
the war.
In surrendcring to Flag Officer
Foote the rebel General remarked:
IL am glad to surrender to so gal.
liant an officer"
Flag Officer Foote replied
You do perfectly right, sir, in sur
rendering, but you should have blown
my boats out of water before l would
have surrendered to you.
Specials to the Cincinnati CONNER
cial and Gazette give additional de-
tail OF the capture of Fort Henry. At
the time of the attack the rebel infan-
try in their camp were eating dinner.
They abandoned everything, leaving
thousands Of shot guns, all their camp
equipage and clothing. In pursuing
the enemy, Major Mccullough, of Col.
Dickey's Cavalry, captured six guns,
and Col. John A. Logan captured eight
guns and thirty-three prisoners.
Gen. Smith is on the West and Gen.
Al