Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-02-13
DETAILS OF THE BATTLE.

CINCINNATI, Feb. 7, 1862.
The Gazette and Commercials Cairo CORES
pondence gives the following account o! tn
Sombardment and capture of Fort henry -
Yesterday, at haIfpast twelve P. NJ, the gun
boats Cincinnati, St. Louis, CaroLdeet aGC
Essex, the Tyler, Conestoga and Lexington
bringing up the rear advanced boldly against
the rebel works, going to the righ: of Panther
Greek Island, Immediately above, where, en-
tbs east shore of the river stands the fortif-
cations, and keeping out of range till at the
head of the island and withing a mile of the
enemy passing the island in full view Of the
rebel guns. We steadily advanced every man
at quarters, every ear strained to catch the
flag officers signal gun for the commencement
of the action. Our line of battle was on the
left of the ST. Louis, next the Carondelet, next
the Cincinnati for the time being the flagship,
having on board Flag Officer Foote) and the
next the Essex.
We advanced in line, the Cincinnati boats
length ahead, when, at half past eleven, the
Cincinnati opened the ball, and Immediately
the three acc ompa1ying boats followed suit
The enemy was not backward and gave an
admirable response, and the fight ragged furi-
ousIy for half an hour We steadily advanced
receiving and returning the storms of shot and
Shelf, wheB, getting within three hundred yards
of the enemy's works, we came to stand and
poured into him right and left. In the mean
time the Essex had been disabled, and drifted
away from the scene of action, leaving the
UReiaHsti, CaroHdeiet, and St. Louis alone
engaged.
AT precisely forty nj inutes past one o'clock
the enemy struck bis coIors, and such cheering,
such wild excitement as seized the throats,
arms for caps of the four or five hundred
sailors of the gunboats. can be imagined.
After the surrender, which was made to Flag
Officer Foote by General Lloyd Tilghman, who
defended his Fort in O most determined man
ner, we found that the rebel infantry eDcamp-
ed outside the Fort, numbering four or five
thousand, had cut and run, leaving the rebel
artillery company ia command of the Fort
The Fort mounted seventeen gens, most of
them thirty-two and thirty-four Founders, one
being magnificent ten inch columbiad. Our
shots dismounted two of their guns driving the
enemy into the embrasures. One of their ri
fed thirty-tWo Founders burst during the en-
gagement, wounding some of their gunners.-
The rebels claimed to have but eleven effective
guns, worked by ffty-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 dea! of plunder has fallen into our
hands, including large and valuable quantity
OF ordnance stores
Gen. Tlghnaa is dishesrtened. He thinks
it one of the nost damaging blows of the war
In surrending to Flag Officer Foote the rebel
General remarked, | am glad to surrender to
SO gallant an officer Flag Officer Foote re-
piled, You do perfectly right, sir, in surren-
deriug but you should have blown my boats
out of the water before would have surren.
dered to you"
In the engagement the Cincinnati was in the
lead aud, flying the flag officers penasut,
was the chief mark Flag Officer Foote and
Captain Stembel crowded her defanty into
the teeth of the enemy's guns She got thirty
one Shots some of them going completely
through her, The Essex was badly crippled
when about half through the fght, and crowd
ing steadily against the enemy. A ball went
into her side forward port, thrsugh her heavy
bulkhead, and squarely through one of her
boilers, the escaping steam scalding anC killing
several of the crew. Captain Porter bis aid,
C. P. Brtton, Jr., and Paymaster Lewis were
standing in G. direct line of the balls passing,
Nr. Britton being in the centre of the group.
A shot struck Mr. Britton on the top Of his
head, scattering his brains in every direction.
The escaping steam went ihto the pilot house,
Instantly killing MeSSrS Ford and Bride, pilots
Many Of the soldiers ct the rush of steam
jumped over board and we're drowned.
The Cincinnati had oRe killed and six wound
ed. The Essex had six seanen and two off
GERS killed, seventeen men wounded and FIVE
missing. There were no casualties on the St.
Louis or Carondelet, though the shot and shell
fell upon them like rain. The ST. Louis was
commanded by Leonard Psulding, who stood
upon the gunboat and worked the guns TO the
last.