The New York herald., 1862-02-17
THE SITUATION.


The news from Fort Donelson is all important
Tbe latest intelligence from the fort is up to five
O'clock on Saturday afternoon, and was brought
TO Cairo by the Minnehaha. The fight had then
been going on for three days. with great vgor on
both sides. On the first day {Thursday) the at
tack was commenced by our land forces, 1000
strong. under Generals Grant, McClernand and
Smith. when the rebels gave battle from their
back. two Of their batteries remaining in pos
session of our troops. At this time only one
gunbOat-the Carondelet-was engaged in the
action, but that evening five otle. gunboats and
5000 men arrived at ths scene o warfare. On
Friday afternoon Commo lore Foot, with his whole
s1sce of gunboats, attacked the fort, and had to
Sand terrific fire from three batteries, one on
o. water line, one Fifty feet higher, and another
Ally feet above the latter The shots from their
- tercs proved terribly destructive, disabling it
It said. all the gunboats except one. Conmo.
dore Foote, in his oficisl despatch, received
By the Navy Department yesterday, says that
after a severe FIGHT of an hour and
qua& y, wi hin less .han hundred yards OF the
fors hi flagship, St. Louis, hsd her wheel carried
away, and about tie same time the tiller of the
Louisville was shot off. Both boats being thus
rendered unmana geable, they foated down the
river with the current The two remaining boats
were also severely injured The st. Louis received
ahn md 4,a ntla hoa f,iix .bat
number Fifty-four of our men were killed ana
wounded IN this action. Commodore Foote-
Who was twice slightly wounded--says that
had not the two guaboats been disabled
at this juncture the fort would have
beer reduced in fifteen minutes, as the rebels
were running from their atteiies. Thus rendered
helpless, the Commodore withdrew, with the Cones
togs, to Cairo, by the advice Of General Grant, TO
repair damages, and bring up larger force for
the attack.
On her way to Cairo the Mnnehaha met our
formidable mortar boats al Paduca,i, on their way
10 Fort Donslson. Meantime the fight was con.
tinued all day Saturday by the land forces The
right wing Of the rebel Notifications wes taken and
Che Union flag was planted OH IL. In the cnn-
ct the contending forces fough: breast to breast,
and Swarsas battery was captured by the rebels,
but was recaptured by the Nineteenth Indiana
regiment. After a desperate contest the upper
redoubt. which completely commands Fort Donel
SON. was taken by our men on Saturday afternoon,
aud General Grant has telegra phed that the fort
would certainly be in his possession yesterday
(Sunday) As is, the Stars and Stripes are flying
from the commanding redoubt over the defeuces
Of Fort Doneson Our troops behaved
with great gallantry. The Illinois Eighteenth
and the Iowa Seventh suffered terribly. The loss
on both sides was heavy. Two colonels on our
side are reported killed, and two wounded The
force Of the enemy is said to be thirty thousand.
and not fifteen thousand as at first supposed.
The rebel Notifications being erected on high
bluff, the firing from the gunboats was less destuc
tive than ct the capture Of Fort Henry, but still
Che guns planted on low water level, six in num-
ber. were either dismounted or silenced by the
slots from our boats. The first shot fred from the
Louisville dismounted the splendid l2s-pounder of
che rebels.
We received. no news up to q late hour this
morning Of the events which transpired at Fort
Doaelson yesterday, so that our information only
bri' us down to the proceedings of Saturday
al ooo0.
,ssp,tches received in Washington yesterday
cor srning the affair have inspired the utmost
conf s,ce - 10 ths result he mird Of General
Mcclellan, who wes 81 day in eieerapAic con-
ssissass VITA Genera Asilssk. No tears Of Z.