Smyrna times., 1862-02-13
The Victory in Tennessee.


we give the agreeable tidings of the com
pIcte SUCCESS of Gen. Grants expedition an,
ths capture OF Fort Henry, in Henry county
tennessee with all its garrison, guns, mum.
'lonS' etc. This brilliant achievement a,ax a
fresh laurel 10 those already gathered in This
"or oy our gallant little navy for II appes RS
that the land force did not reach the scene ot
action until two hours after the surrrcEApr. and
'hat the triumph was won by only three gun.
oosts cut otall We have on the Western waters
lA'se ,hree guhboats are partially iron plated
DIT not entirely SO, and the fact of their pot
oeing sun vulnerable part in each has led to
the snocklng disaster of thirty-lwo men of the
cr3" OF the Essen being killed or wounded bv
Sn"t from the fort striking the boiler and
causing an explosion. The brave Captain Por.
ter was himself bldiv scalaed nv tho l,.,o,..
though not dangerously. On the two o,hs,
ooa's 0niy one man was killed aaG * wounded
IRE striking test than this 81 lie ysIYc ri
Ihese iron plated gun" ats could 3 OF be de.,red
! "nen iae news became knowG 10 Vs,aino,o,
1t no co npleIely proved the utility o. the iron
clsa gunboats as to dsSipate ell opposition
thereto 10 the Senate, and cause the llnH,pdia,e
passage OF the bill authorizing the buildipp Of
twenty new ones.
This victory happens most onpoI.uneIv TO
n'ai"'alH me prestige o. our navy at a time
when the British are SO loudly Wanting the
lnVhcIbIe strength of their own, and so su.
premely desPlsing ours. Taken in CONNECTION
win Inc capture of the two forts at Hal,sr.s
Inlet, and the two at Port Royal, it show.
clearly that on the water We are as secure as
ever, and have nothing 10 fear. 1t indicates, |
too' the fighting quaiIiies OF the American tars,
Tor lhese Western gunboats are all manned BIZ |
Eastern sailors. In all these naval actiens the
guns used are those made according TO the I'm.
pr0'ements Of Captain Dahlgren, whose belief
ehat lhey are superior to all ether marine arul.
iefy seems to be now pretty well established.
Ihe immediate object Of lhIs movement WAS
70 cut OH communications between the rebel
army at Bowling Green and the rebel strong.
hold al Columbus, which has now been efPe
tuai'y done. Both the rebel positions are thus
isolated. Bowling Green has now no suoport.
lhg post or army IN Kentucky on the east, Gen
Ihomas having, by his victory at Somerset.
arlVen CrIttendeR clear cut of the Slate. ann
Humphrey Marshall having disbanded his t.rce
we nave the complete command Of the whole
iength OF the Cumberland and Tennessee river.
:" henlucRy' and have an army at For, Henri
IN the rear of both B wi ling Green and Colum
ous. This victory puts stop to the send,r,r
81 reihtorcemtnts from Columbus TO BowIlny
0'een' OF ptce versa as one or the other hap
pened to be threatened. The rear of both posi
'ions Is new menaced, and neither can he snc
,esS'uly maintained without supporting posts
0owIlRg Green, unless some new movements
% Ito aid be made by the rebels becomes rer
lous position. Such was The Importance o.
ms intermediate post On the Tennessee river
nat 1t was supported by an army of four or
I've thousand men, sent thither since General ~
Irants former expedition. This valiant ars,, =
'etook itself to flight unanimously, LEAVING II.
Gen. Lloyd Tighman, to IN %
nor''hcatIon OF being captured IN the fort with N
lis stat This post in the hands of Gen. Grant, e.
expedition, renders Columbus an Isolated ana or
exposed place, without support ana scarcely al
apable Of being maintained. l
Com. Foote's dispatch says that he tool
wenty cenHsn and seventeen mortars. which
WITH the fourteen cannon taken at Mill Spring, =
makes thlrty-four cannon and seventeen mar. f.
ars captured by our arms in Kentucky wilhln 10 10
few weeks. IN
After our long and tedious work of prepara.
ion. says the North American, these Victories
ONE most welcoceiy, and will stiii further ;,
timulate the ordor of the Union .o-ce., hills 81
hey Increase the depression so apfuont IN ~. L.
ebel ranks 10 all liability ttesa strugpiesi
re but preludes TO great and f. rful ba;rlea.
he mo'"enious consequences oi whlca can
cRrcelY be fnresPnn