St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-02-13

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Officer! !A. H. Foote, y next, .od the Essex
next. advanced in lihe, tho Cinoiu-
natl 4 boat g length ahead when at 1890
the Cincinnati opened the ball, and imme-
diately three accompanying boats followed
suit. The enemy, not backward, gave ad-
mirable response. and the fight ragged fu-
riously for half an hour, We steadily ad.
vanced, receiving and returning storms Of
shot and shell, when, getting within three
hundred yards Of the ensmy'a works, We
came to stand and poured into them
right and left. In the meantime the: Es-
sex had been disabled and driftsd away
from the scene Of action, leaving the Gin
cinnati, Carondelet and St. Louis alon, en-
gagged. At precisely forty minutes past
one, the enemy struck his coiors, and such
cheering, such wild excitement as seized
the throats, arms and caps Of the 400 or
500 sailors Of the guuboats, can be imag-
ined. '-''.
After the surrender, which was made
to flag officer Foote by Gen. Lloyd Tlg-
man, who defended his fort in the MOST
determined manner, we found the rebel
infantry encamped outside the fort, num-
bering 1000 or 5000 They had cut
and run, leaving the rebel artillery oompa-,
ny in command of-the fort to- their fate.
The fort mounted II guns, mostly 80 and
"a Founders, one being magnificent 10
inch Columbiad. Our shots dismounted
two Of their guns, driving the enemy from
the embrasures One of their rifed 81
FOUNDERS burst during the engagement,
wounding one Of their gunnen.
The rebels claim to have had but elev-
en- guns worked by fly four men, the
number, all told of our prisoners.
They lost FIVE killed and ten badly
wounded. The infantry left everything
in their fight. A vast deal Of plundor
has fallen into our hands, including q
large and valuable quantity of ordnance
stores. ~.
General Tilgman is disheartened, and
thinks it was one of the most damaging
blows of the war in surrendering to flag Of
6cer Foote.
The rebel general rema rked, II am
glad to surrender to so gallant an officer"
Flag officer Foote replied, "You do per-
fectly right, sir, in surrendering, but you
should have blown my boats out Of the wa
ter before l would have surrendered to
you." :,.
In the engagement, the Cincinnati be-
ing in the lead and flying the flag officers
pennant, was the chief mark. Flag OFF,
Ger Foote and Captain. Stembel crowded
her de6antly into the teeth of the euemy's
guns. She got thirty-one shots, some Of
them going completely through. The Es-
sex was badly crippled. When about
half through the fight, and crowding
steadily against the enemy, a ball went ia-
to her port side forward port, through the
heavy bulk head and squarely through enc
of her boilers, .scolding and killing several
of her crew. Captain Porter, his aid, S.
P. Britton, aud paymaster Lewis were
standing in direct line of the passing
balls. S. P. Britton, being in. the centre
of the group, shot struck him on the top
of his head, scattering his brains in every
direction. The escaping steam went into
the pilot house, instantly killing Ford and
Mcbride, pilots. Many of the sailors, at
the rush of steam, jumped overheard aud
were drowned. The Cincinnati had one
killed and six wounded !; the Essex bad
six seaman killed, two officers and seven
teen men wounded, and five missing. No
casualties on the St. Louis or Carondolet,
though shot and shlel fell upon them like
rain. The st. Louis was commanded by
Capt. Leonard Paulding who stood upon
the gun deck and fought the: guns to tho
last. Not man hinched, and with cheer
upon cheer sent shot and shell among the
enemy. ..... ..;.
+ ;PADucAH, KY Feb. T.
General Smith on the west, and Gener-
al Grant on the cast side of the river, arc
pursuing the retreating rebels. -.:
It. is reported, and credited by some Of
our officers, that the rebel troops at Fort
Henry were not true to the rebel cause.
They took advantage Of the opportunity
offered by tie attack to run away from =
fight that was distasteful. to them.
Bright, the secession senator from Indi-
ana, was justly expelled from the Senate,
on the 9th, by vote of 32t IA, Among
thoscrin the negative was Senator Rice.