The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-02-20
CAPTURE or FORT HENRY.

,innati Gazette and Com mercial, we
make up the following interesting ac-
count Of the above brilliant victory of
our forces in Tennessee:
Soon after noon on Thursday, Feb.
9Th, the gunboats, according to the pre-
vious plan, advanced in two divisions
up the river, passing on either side of
little island lying about mile and n
balf below the fort, so as, in q measure,
TO throw cross FIRE upon it.
As soon as the boats appeared in
sight the fort opened upon them fierce
ly. The boats advanced slowly up the
river, firing moderately, until within
about n mile Of the fort, when they
opened their full batteries and the bat
tie commenced in earnest. The scene
in described as terri6cally grand. The
air seemed filed with tho flying missiles.
The heavy boom of the guns and the
Of the shells as they tore thro'
the air, were echoed back from the sur
rounding hills, till the whole space for
miles around seemed filed with one
confused roar. The fort was soon wrap
ped in a cloud of smoke, which rose
lazily up and Aoated away over the
hills, and through it the flashes of her
guns broke like successive bursts of
For more than an hour this fierce con-
tiict continued, the boats gradually ap-
preaching nearer and nearer within
few hundred yards of tho fort, when the
rebels fire slackened and suddenly
white flag was raised on the ramparts,
but the dense smoke prevented its be-
ing seen by the boats, and tho firing
still continued.
THE SURRENDER.
In n few moments more, the rebel flag
which had been proudly Haunting from
a tall pole in the centre of tho fort was
hauled down, and Fort Henry was
ours
Captain Phelps of the gunboat Cone
stoga, was Immediately ordered by the
Commodore to land and Ike possession.
On arriving at the shore, Captain Phelps
was met by an officer, wearing the uni
form of Brigadier- Gen in the Con-
tederate army, who announced himself
as Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, acting COM
mandcr of the district, and who formal
ly surrendered the fort and the adjacent
camps, with himself and about sixty
others as prisoners of war. When the
foremost of our cavalry reached the
spot they found Captain Phelps stand.
ing alone, surrounded by his prisoners,
waiting for some one to come and occu.
py the fort.
THE PRISONERS.
Sixty-three prisoners were found in
side the fort, and twenty-sev others
were afterward captured by our cavalry
in pursuing the enemy. Among them
are very large proportion of officers of
rank, who will prove very serviceable
as exchanges for some of our own val
ucd officers now in the eucmy's hands.
The list of officers, so far as L have
been able to learn it, is as follows:
Brighten. Lloyd Tilghman of Ken
tucky, commanding the district; Captain
Jessee Taylor of Tennessee, chief of ar.
tiilery and commander Of the fort; Lieu
tenant W. o. Watts, artillery; Lieuten.
ant 6. K. G. Jones, artillery; Capt. Mil
Ter, engineer corps; Capt. Hayden, en-.
gineer corps; Capt. VIM. Jones, brigade
quartermaster; DR.. A. II. Voorhies,
brigade surgeon, DR.. Horton, surgeon
Tenth Tennessee Regiment; Capt. Jno.
McLaughliu, quartermaster Tenth Ten
oessee; Major Mccormick, Assistant
Adjutant General.
THE REBEL COMMANDER.
General Tilghman is a large stout
man, rather prepossesing ia appearance.
and gentlemanly in mann r, after the
Southern idea Of gentleman, but rath-
or inclined to pomposity, like most of
the rebel officers that have seen. He
is a graduate of West Point, aud was
formerly in the United States army
He is regarded as an excellent officer,
and his capture will prove a severe loss
to the Confcderates. Capt. Taylor,
am Informed, is also West Point grad.
uate. The manner of their capture, as
related by themselves, is somewhat Gu
rious. II.
TILGHMAN CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.
At the commencement Of the fight
Gen. Tilghman had posted a guard at
the gate of the fort, with orders to let
no one pass out, but to fire upon any
who attempted to escape. After the
bursting of their rifled gun, and the
disabling of two or three others by our
shots, and while the shells we're falling
thickly around, the General bimself
with some Of his officers, attempted to
make their escape, but were stopped by
the sentincls, who, strictly obeying the
orders, threatened them with death
should they attempt to pass. Soon af-
ter he flag was hauled down. This is
the story told by the guard, who claim
to have been pressed into the rebel SER
vice, and who thus retaliated. This
may account for the fact of so many Of.
icers being captured within the fort,
while the entire force in the camp out.
side succeeded in making their escape.
HOW THE REBEL TROOPS ESCAPED US.
1t may seem matter of surprise at
iirst that the entire force of tho rebels,
except the garrison of the fort, succeed
ed in making their escape; but certain
ly the last thought in tho mind of any
one was that they would abandon their
complicated and formidable intrenoh
ments without making a single attempt
to defend them, especially as they had
lnceuniad thu t,yo daga sntos,,,;s ~