Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-02-20

guuoOatS' IllotS Riley ana Hinton OF the st.
Louis being among the latter.
Com Foote, while standing on the pilot
house Of the st Louis, his flag ship, was
slightly wounded. The St. Louis was hit 81
times. Two gunboats were disabled.
The Tyler and Concstoga remained out Of
range Of the cnemy's guns.
The line of battle was as follows the St.
Louis on the right, next the Louisville, then
the Pittsburgh, and Carondolct on the left.
The cncmy's firing was very accurate. They
had three batteries, one near the water, one forty
feet abovo this, and third fifty feet above the
second. The upper one mounted four q pound.
crs. This one was held in reserve until our
boats came within four hundred yards of the fort
Our fire was directed principally at the water
battery. One of the cnemy's gun burst and a
number were dsmountcd. The enemy could be
seen carrying their dear out Of the trenches All
the gunboats were left up the Cumberland except
the ConeSioga. and she left there yesterday morn.
ing. A riled gun on the Cdrondoiet burst, killing
men. The ruddcr Of the PhtSburg was sht
away.
The mortar boats left here Yesterday morning
The above statement of the fight war received
from gentlemen who was aboard Of the 81 Lon.
is during the engagement.
LATER.-A gentleman who left Fort Donel.
son yesterday afternoon at o'clock and achcd
here this noon, says the fight had been going on
all day Yesterday, and the right wing of the enc.
my's Notifications had turned, and the, Union flag
was floating over them. The forces were breast
to breast, aud the fight was to be resumed
A Cairo special to the Democrat says Captain
Wise, of the steamer Minnchdha. reports that
the enemy made sortie from the fort at O'Clock
yesterday morning driving our forces back three
quarters ola mile. and captured Schwartz's bat
terry and at o'clock our trohps rallied, recap.
ured the battery, and drove the rebels before them
and planted our flag on the outer Notifications.
a steamer from Evansville brings report that
four of our Coloncls were killed Yesterday after
noon, among them Colonel John A. Logan, of
Illinois The names of the others are not asccr.
taincd,
A special to Dcmocrai dated in rear Of Fort
DonclsJn, Friday 7. NJ says last night was very
severe on our troops rain having set in, which
turned to snow. 1t is freezing to day, and old
citizens say they rarely have such cold weather
in this climate.
The more sec the Fort the more convinced
| that il can't be taken wit out terrible battle.
| Its rear seems almost imprcgnable. The outer
works and batallions Of the Fort are located on
ridges $50 to 25Il feet high, covered with dense
/ tin,j and underground. Upon similar range
OF hills outside these our army is drawn up in line
Of battle, completely cncircing the enemy from
the Cumberland, south of the Fort to the back
water of stream which fanks the Fort on the
North
Gen. Oglesby, who had the extreme right, last
night pushed forward his brigade to the Cumbcr
4 land river, and planted battery commanding the
river which will eiectually prevent the arrival OF
reinforccmcnts In fact we have them complete.
ly surrounded and can complete the job at our
leisure.
A formidable attempt was made last night to
take TaNlor's batter by the enemy who approach.
ed under cover of darkness, but they were gal
lanty rcpuscd by the Doth Illinois. Considerable
skirnshing occurred during the night, both forces
cndeavoring in the darkness to crawl in upon the
the other.
This morning it was discovered that the enemy
had placed logs on the top of their breastworks,
leaving little space for them to shoot through,
and diminishing their risk from the uncrring aim
of our sharpshooters.
The casualties among our artillery thus far
are very small. The loss of the enemy, as far as
can be asccrtained is considerable
Yesterday afternoon, after the storming party
had retired, and when the rebels had been thickly
banded together to repel the assault, Capt. IHy.
lor opened upon them with shell with terrible effect
His practice was superb, creating the greatest
CONSERVATION in their ranks, and causing them to
take refuge in their entertainments. The gun
boat assault was terrific, exceeding even the Fort
Henry bombardment. 1t lasted about an hour
and a half The enemy has, fronting on the river
two batteries, the lower oHe of9 and the upper 4
guns, besides n 10 inch Coumbiad,
The wooden gun boats 7yler and Conestoga
were engaged in the fight,
Com. Footc prOnOuunces the engagement the
hottest he ever witnessed. Seven of the guns
of the lower tier of the enemys batteries had
been silcnced, and everything progressing
favorably, when the ruddcr chain of the Cdroado-
let was severed
The Pittsburgh was damaged in her wheel so As
to be unable to stem the current, and the pilot
Il /.
the pilot and slightly wounding several others.
among them Com Foote.
The fleet was then obliged to retire.
Cne Of our shells struck immcdiotly under ono
of the cnemy's guns, throwing the gun and bodc.
of the gunners high in the air,
A great number of dead and wounded coull be
seen carried up the hill
Com. Foote'S wound is slight
,rhc 81 LOQiS was struck I'll times, the Loais
rHIc 30, the FHsd"syI 81. the Carondolet 2G.
WAsHINGroN Feb. Is Am official dispatch ro.
ccived at the Navy Department this morning from
Com Footc, near Donclson, Feb. 49, presents
nothing beyond that already tclegraphcd to the
Press, except he says that if the boats had been
able to flight fifteen minutes longer, it would have
result ed in the capture of the fort, as the rebels
were running away from their batteries The
enemy had twenty guns bearing on the boatc
which were only able to return the fire with -
FoOtc also says he has sent the gun boat TVlcr to
/ the Tennessee river to rcdur the railroad bridge
impossible.
WASHINGTON, Feb. ia dispatch has reached
the General in Chief from General Halleck an,
nouncing the Investment of Fort Doncson by
0,000 men, and by the noble feet of Com Fooc
anticipating speedy reduction.
Gen. llaleck says Generals Floyd and Buck,
ncr are in it with force of $4,000 men, and he
is evidently of the opinion that his arrangement,
for cutting them oil from reniorccments will
surely be successful.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. l5-Mitchcl's Division by a
forced march reached the river at Bowling Green
/ TO day, making bridge to cross. The enemy
/ burned the bridge at o'clock in the morning and
were cvacuatng the place when he arrived
/ [Signcd ID. C.. BUELL., Brig. Gen.
FoRr MONROE, Feb. iG-By flag of truce to
day we learn that Fort Doncson surrendered tc
Buckncr and Johnson were taken, with Ii ,00t
other prisoners. Weare also Informed that fight
ing has been going on near Savannah, and that
city is probably captured,
! Sr. LOUIS, Feb l7.-Furthcr official advice.
| from Fort Donclson say Gen, FLOYD escaped du
ring the night and the rebels in the Fort dcnoun
ced him as u black hearted traitor and coward,
! The enemy are known to have had 30 900 troop
Is, 600 of whom are prisoners, 5 900 escaped and
the balance are reported killed, wounded or 9th
crwisc disabled, Our loss is not stated but the
slaughter in our ranks Is mentioned as tcrub
severe.
I WA,HINGToN, Feb. IL General Mcclellan
has received a despatch fully confirming the cap
| fam, ,,,fE