Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-02-20

day Of February, 1862, the rebel flag
came down by the run, white nag was
shown, and Fort Henry was ours.
The Cincinnati was hit by thirty -one
shots, Essex four, St Louis seven. Our
loss will not exceed fifteen, among which |
are the following:
S. b. Britton, of the Essex, killed.
p. Chandler, of the Cincinnati, killed.
n Marsh Ford, Of the Essex, scalded to
death. /
James Mcbride, Of the Esses, SC lded
to death.
Eleven priyates, of the Essex, scalded
to death.
The action lasted just one hour and
twelve minutes. During that time the
Cincinnati from four guns one hundred
and twelve shots, using her port rifle afew
times; the st. Louis one hundred and six
shots from her three bow guns, two rified
and one smooth the Essex titty-hve'--
The number of shot fred by the others |
have not yet obtained. A rebel officer OF
artillery informed me that they fired fully
three hundred times from their batteries.
Our officers deem his estimate correct.
As the flag came down the ST. Louis
boarders sprang into their boats and were
almost instantly on shore. An oflicerin-
quired for the flag officer of the fleet
The gig of the flagship came up and con-
yeyed Brigadier General Tilghman TO the
deck of the Cincinnati. Being introduced
to the old hero, be remarked that he was
" gratified to surrender, if surrender he
must, to so brave an officer as Flag Officer
Foote." Flag Officer Foo,e replied =
You do right in surrendering, sir; |
should not have. done it if you had sunk
all my boats. Your surrender, sir, must
be unconditional l can accept no other. "
Such is the history of this most brilliant
naval victory. The old flag has been
planted on the walls of rebel fort, in
Western Tennessee, by the gallant blue
Jackets. Officers and men all worked
with bravery and will that have earned
them the thanks of the Union. Too much
of the credit of this victory cannot be
awarded to Flag Officer Foote, who has
labored necessarily in the preparation OF
his fleet, and finally, when the time for
action came, left a sick bed, and with bis
lite in his hand, struck this blow for the
old flag. a@Eg nv e
The prisoners taken in the fort are
Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman, OF
| Kentucky, a graduate of West Point
Major W. L. McCommice, OF Tennessee,
| Assistant Adiutant General; Capt. III. l..
Jones, of Kentucky, Brigadier Quarter
master; Capt J. H. Hayden, of Tennes-
see, Chief of Engineers; Capt. John Nc
Loughlin, of Tennessee, Quartermaster
Capt. jesse Taylor, of Tennessee, COM
| handing garrison; Capt. G.sR. G. Jones
| of Tennessee, Lieut.. w. Ormsby Watts
Lieutenant Frederick j. Wellen, and sixty
priyates. E.m9aa.sz d. #.ae.
The guns taken in the fort are one l28-
FOUNDER, into the muzzle of which ar
eight-inch shell was fred by one Of tht
gun boats; one "a pound rifle, which ex
ploded; two 42-pounders, smooth; ter
80 Founders, do; one 24-pounder, do.
two FOUNDERS, do; with three 6-ponnd
ers, smooth, and five 6-pounders, rifed
found outside The entrenchnent. Also {
large quantity of muskets, principally fir
locks, Harper's Ferry, 1928; a large guam
tity of ammunition, all their tents ant
camp equipage, blankets and all the cloth
ing except that which they had on theil
backs.
The following infantry, in addition t.
the artillery, are known to have been there
in the morning: Tenth Tennessee, Fourth
Mississippi, Forty-eighth Tennessee, Fifty
first Tennessee, Fifteenth Arkansas, ONT
hundred Alabama troops and five hun
bred Tennessee cavalry. They fled earl.
in the battle. Our land forces did nc
participate in the action.