Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-02-19
The Battle of Fort Henry.
Report of Commander Foote, United
States Navy, of the Capture of Fort
Henry

States Navy, OF the Capture OF Fort
Henry.
CAIRO, ILL.,, Feb. SIN: have the
honor to report that, on the 9th inst, at
l23 o'clock P. M, made an attack on Fort
Henry, on the Tennessee river, with the
ironclad gunboats Cincinnati, Commander
Stemble; the flag ship Essex, Commander
Porter, Carondelet, Commander Walker;
and ST. Louis, Lieut. Com. Paulding also,
taking with me the three old gunboats Con-
estoga, Lieut.. Com. Phelps; the Tyler,
Lieut. Com. Given; aad the Lexington,
Lieut. Com. Shirk, as a second division, in
charge Of Lieut.. Com. Phelps, which took
position astern, and in shore OF the armed
boats, doing good execution there during
the action, while the armed boats were pla-
ced in the first order OF steaming, approach
ing the tort in parallel.
The fire was opened at seventeen nun
dred yards distance from tie flag ship,
which was followed by the other gunboats,
and responded to by the fort. As nc ap-
preached the fort under slow steaming, till
We reached within six hundred yards Of
the rebel batteries, the fire, both from the
SeuHOOato oAo iOI lhSiCSSSO III putty dIu
accuracy OF range. At twenty minutes be-
fore the rebel flag was struck, the Essex
unfortunately received shot in her boilers,
which resulted in wounding, by scalding,
of twenty nine officers and men, including
Com. Porter, as will be seen by the encles-
ed list of casualties. The Essex then ne
cessarily dropped out of line astern, entire
ly disabled and unable to continue the fight
in which she had SO gallantly participated
until the sad catastrophe. The firing con-
tinued with undated rapidity and effect
upon the three gunboats, as they continued
still to approach the fort with their destruc-
tive fire, until the rebel flag was hauled
down, after very severe and closely con-
tested action of one hour and fifteen min
utes. A boat containing the Adjutant Gen
eral and Captain Of Engineers came along
side after the flag was lowered, and report
ed that Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, the comman-
der of the fort, wished to communicate
with the flag officer, when I despatched
Com. Stembel and Lieut.. Com. Phelps,
with orders to hoist the American flag
where the Secession ensign had been flying,
and to inform Gen. Tilghman that would
see him on board the flag ship. He came
on board soon after the Union had been
substituted for the Rebel flag, by Com.
Stembel on the fort, and possession taken.
] received the General, his staff, and six
ty er seventy men as prisoners, and hos
pital ship containing sixty inyalids, togeth-
er with the fort and its effects, mounting
twenty guns, mostly of heavy calibre, with
barracks and tents capable of accommoda.
ting fifteen thousand men, and sundry ar.
ticles, of which, as [ turned the fort and
its effects over to Gen. Grant, commanding
the army, on his arrival in an hour after
we had made the capture, he will be ena-
blcd to give the Government more cor
rect statement than | am enabled to com
municate from the short time had posses
sion of the fort The plan of the attack.
SO far as the army reaching the rear of the
fort to make demonstration simultaneous
ly with the navy, was prevented by the e1
cessively muddy roads and high stage oi
water retarding the arrival of our troops
until some time after had taken posses
sion Of the fort
On securing the prisoners, and maxim.