The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-02-20

bringing a military mail and dispatches.
and l50 Of the wounded to the hospital
at Paducah. Il
The 6ght commenced on Thursday, and
on Friday and Saturday the contest was
desperate. The Illinois Eighteenth sut
fered severely. and the Iowa Seventh sus-
tanned considerable loss.
Swartz's Battery, which was taken by
the enemy, was re captured by our men.
Two colonels were wounded aud two kill.
ed. The loss is heavy on both sides.
The upper Fort was taken at 4 o'clock
and ;he Union flag is now floating over it.
Our troops behaved with great gallantry.
The gunboals 81. Louis. Louisville and
Pittsburgh. were, disabled.
The Minnehaha met with the mortar
boats at Paducah going up.
ST. Lotis, February 1G.-DispatcheS
received at headquarters say that all the
gunboals we're pretty edectually disabled
except one.
Commodore Foote was wounded twice,
but not fatally.
The upper rsdoubt was taken BY our
troops: it commands Fort Donelson, and
General Grant ,elegraphs he would be able
to capture that fort TO day, (Surday.I
General Halleck also received dispatches
from General Curtis. stating that PRICES
rear puara was overtaken in the pursuit
from Springfield. and after brief rpsis.
tance, the rebels fed, leaving the road
strewn with wagons and baggage
General Curtis reports having taken
more prisoners than lie knew what 10 do
with. 1t never rains bat it pours.
ST. LoUIs. February 16.--A Cairo spe-
cial to the Democrat says that Captain
Wise Of the steamer Minnehuhs, report
that the enemy made softis from Che fort
at 10 O'Clock yesterday morning, and
drove our forces back three quarters Of a
mile, and captured Schwartss battery.
At one o'clock our troops rallied, re-
captured the battery, and drove the rebels
before them, and planted our flag on their
out Notifications.
A steamer from Evansville brings re.
port that four ofuur Coloncls were killed
yesterday afternoon. among them Colonel
John A. Logan Of Illinois. The names ol
the others ara no: ascsrlained
ST. LOUIS, February is "A spscfal to
tie Democrat dated lin rear of FortDon
tlson, Friday p, NJ says:
Last night was very severe on oul
troops rain having set in, which turned
to snow. II is freezing to day, and old
citizens say they rarely have such cold
weather in this latitude.
The more see Of the fort, the Eort
, convinced am | that !: cannot be reduced
, without terrible battle. It's rear Scent
almost impregnable. The outer works
and baslioDs are located on ridges $50 tt
$50 feet high, covered with dense timbe
and undergrowth. Upon similar rang'
of hills outside Of these our army il
drawn no in line of battle, completely en-
circling the enemy from the CumbeIlanf
south of the fort to the backwater OF a
stream which hanks the fort on the north
General Oglesby. who has tile extreme
right, pushed forward his brigade lasI
night to the Cumberland. and has planted
o battery commanding the river, which
will tfIectually prevent the arrival OF any
more endorsements. 10 fact, VIC have
them completely surrounded, and cal
complete the job at our leisure.
A formidable attempt was made las
night to take Taylor's battery by the enc
my; who approached under cover Of th'
darkness. but were CALAMITY rppnlsed b!
the Twentieth Illinois. Considerable skir
mishiug occurred during the night. eAcl
force endeavoring in the darkness to craw
in upon each other. ....
This morning II was discovered that th'
enemy had placed logs on the top of thei
breastworks, leaving a little space fol
them 10 shoot through, and much dimin
isling their risks from the unerring aia
of our sharpshooters.
Tie casualties among our artillery thui
far are very small The loss of the enc
my Is considerable.
Yesterday afternoon, after the storm
ing party had retired, and when The rebel
had been thickly crowded together to re
pei the assault. Captain Taylor opened OF
them with terrible effect His practice
was superb, creating the greatest conster
nation IN their ranks, ard causing then
J to take refuge in their intrenchments.
The gunboat assault was terrific, ex
ceeding even the Fort Henry lombard
I ment. l, lasted about an hour and halt
The enemy has fronting on the rive
: two batteries, the lower one Of nine, AM
/, the upper one of four gums, besides ten
inch Coumbiad. ...
n The wooden gunboats, Taylor and Con
Q cstoga. we're engag. d in the fight
= Commodore Foote pronounces the on
8 gugement the hottest he ever Witnessed.
Q Seven Of the niue guns in the lower tie
Q Of the onemy's battery had been Silenced
: aud everything was apparently progress
: ing favo,ably when the rudder chain {
Q the Carondolet was severed.
: Tho Pittsburgh was damaged in tn
. wheel so rs to be unable to stem the cul
rent. and the pilot house of the ST. LOU
Q was knocked away. killing the pilot an
Q slightly woundng several others, anon
o them Commodore Foote. The feet The
: was obliged to retire, One Of our shell
i struck Ia media,ely under one Of the en'
0 my's guns, throwing the gun and III
D bodies Of the gunnerS high in the air.
Great numbers of the dead and wouude
d could be seen carried up the bill. Cor
d Foote'S wound is slight.
VI The 81, Louis was strnok 81 times u