The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-02-11

CAPTURE OF PORT HENRY.
We condeuse the following particulars
in regard to the bombardment and capture
Of Fort Henry from special dispatches to
Chicago papers
AT 1880 the flag ship Cincinnati, hay
ing Com. Foote on board, opened the FIRE,
and immediately the Essex, St. Louis
and Carondelet followed suit.
The enemy. not backward, gave admit
rable response, aud the fight ragged furi-
ously for half an hour. We steadily ad.
vanced, receiving and returning storms
of shot and shell, when getting within
300 yards of their works, we came to q
stand and poured into them right and
left. 1t was magnificent; the whistling
shot, chugs of the seip seips, and the
cheering of our men as our shots took ev.
ident effect.
In Tie meant me the Essex had been
disabled and driited away from the scene
of the engagement, leaving the Cincin-
natl, Carondelet and st. Louis engaged.
At length, at precisely lao, the enemy
struck his flag, and such cheering, such
wild excitement as seized the throats and
arms and caps of the 400 to 500 sailors Of
the gun boats. Well, imagine it.
After the surrender, which was made to
flag officer Foote by the rebel General
Floyd Tilghman, who defended his fort
in most determined manner, we found
that the rebel infantry. encamped to the
number of some four or five thousand out
side the fertilization, had cut and run,
leaving the rebel artillery company in
command of the fort to their fate.
The fort mounted II guns, mostly SO
aud "a Founders; one, however, a mag
m6cent 10 inch columbiad. They claim
to have had but eleven effective guns,
worked by fifty-four men, which is the
number all tod, of our prisoners.
Our shots had dismounted two of their
guns, driven the enemy from their EN-.
bankments, and played smash with them
generally.
They lost FIVE killed and some len badly
wounded. One of their rifed guns, 81
FOUNDER, burst during the engagement,
badly wounding one of their gunners, but
killing none.
Gen. Tilghman is disheartened, and
thinks it one Of the most damaging blows
of the war.
In surrendering to our fac officer, lie
rebel heneraf remarked ~ am glad 10
surrender to SO gallant an officer"
Flag Off ser Foote replied "You do
perfectly right. sir, in surendering; but
you should have blown my boats out Of
water before would have surrendered to
you.
The Cincinnati had one seaman killed,
one badly wounded, and FIVE slightly
wounded. Capt. Pratt, I'd master, was
slightly wounded.
The Essex was badly crippled. When
about half through the fight, and crowd
ing with splendid heroism steadily
against the enemy, ball went in at her
port side forward port, through one OF her
boilers the escaping steam scalding and
killing several Of her crew, and badly
wounding many more. Capt. Porter, his
aid, S. Z. Britton, Jr., and Paymaster
Lewis, were standing on a direct line of
the balls passage, Britton being in the
centre Of the group. The shot struck
poor Britton on the top OF the head, scat
tering his brains and blood in every direc-
ton. The escaping steam went into the
pilot house, quickly killing the two pilots
Ford and Mcbride. Many of the sail
ors. at the rush Of steam, jumped over
board aud were drowned.
4 detachment from one Of the Indiana
regiments, taken on board the Essex just
before engaging the enemy, to act as sharp
shooters, under command Of Lieut. Trot-
ter, lost two killed, three scalded and two
missing.
Lieut.. Trotter is new On the T yler, and
said to be badly scalded David Wilson,
the gun captain, being mortally wounded,
worked his gun after the accident he be-
ing MORALLY wounded at the tine.
There was no casualties on board the
ST. Louis OF Carondelel. though the shot
and shell poured upon them as rain.
Horse Coverings ana their Use.
From the American Agrieuturist)
Some good horsemen blanket their horses
all the year, while others discard their
use. The advocates Of the former practice
claim that blanketing imparts sleek and
glossy appearance to the coat, effects q
q