New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-14
TIE RIVER FLEET AND FORT
uyRNRY.


Correspondents narrative Of tho expedition
which owes its origin, and in great part It's
success, to the Judgment and skill OF Com
mander Foote, will read much more than the
story of brilliant feat Of arms. The chief sig
nifcance Of the achievement on the Tennessee
River will be found to lie in tho fact that the
expedition was carried out on line beyond
tho beaten track of inland warfare The de-
vice of finding available military highways
which superintendent ran-'torm' only servo to
improve, and Of supplenentng eager but
slow-moving land-forces, by naval armaments,
well protected and soundly equipped for their
task. has now been tested, with a success
which hardly admits of being qualified. Ii no
such victory a. that which we report to-day had
followed the advance Of the River fleet from
Paducah to Fort Henry-if, instead OF having
planted the Union flag on ono of the strooge't
Rebel forts Of. the Southwest within ior'y
eight hours of the appearance OF the Na'iona'
forces in the territory Of Tennessee, the Meet
had merely maintained it's position unti inc
army under Gen. Grant had advanced to In
yest the fort, the mission OF the armed holi''a
would have amply met the expectation OF ITS
designers. As it is, the victory Is essehtiai'y
two fold, and represents at once tho triumph
of q we-adjusted Union force, and the success
Of schcme Of warfare, now at least to our
experience OF war.
In estimating what has boon achieved by
Commander Foote, it is well not to overlook
the fact that the project of river armament
had been regarded with very general dlstrust
The experiment was held to be of more than
doubtful value, and failure in the initial
attempt would have doubtless dsmned it etlectu-
ally for all time. Without soislly deiying popu-
lar unbeliei, tho Flag Officer in command
seems quietly to have relied on his own self
consciousness; and in plotting his feet for sixty
miles along the Tennessee River, through a
hostile territory, he entered at least upon no
holiday pastime; while bis appearance within
200 yards Of Fort Henry, without further
concert with General Grant, than the under.
standing that the laud forces should advance
~ RAPIDLY as the marching difficulties permitted,
showed that tho Commander had measured his
work. and MAS determined TO execute It, The
fleet was composed Of seven boats only, four
of which appear to have been iron-clad; and
for the manpiog Of these, Commander Foote
had mixed force of landsmen and under.
graduated seanen, amounting in all to about
* hundred The Fort which this sngulary
unpretendDg armament was designed to reduce
occupied, az our readers are aware, position
Of great strategic importance, since it formed
the hey to ground which. once 10 tho possess
sion OF the National Army, would enable them
to flank the great Rebel strongbolds Of Coluul
bus and Bowlln. Green. The Fort, with It's
surroundings was occupied by Rebel force
siI thousand strong. and mounting seventeen
guns of tho largest caliber, it was deemed sui
hcieutly defended fr prolonged resistance
against any assailing land forco. The letters
and documents found in the deserted camps,
after the surrender, showed that the occupants
expected to remain IN possession at least till
midsummer; ind the large magazine supplies
: proved that siege Of some duration had been
taken INTO account.
I Tie attaoa itself, steady, cool, and effective
as it vas. pa, eats little for comment. The
irou.ciad boats naturally took the advanced
pos tioD, discbareirg only their bow.guns; and
while ;hry served 40 protection to their
wooden Coz. panions, whose shot was thrown |
over the leading vessels into the fort they
presented the Smallest possible target for the
guns Of the Rebels. In spite, however, of ths
precaution against tho steady and vigorous FIRE
vf the fort, well ained shot struck the boiler |
Of tho boat Essex, dsabiing tue vessel, with |
the further loss of several ives--a casualty
which will doubtless suggest additional protec-
ton for the machinery Of boats in future opera.
tions. And in this view the lesson may have
been cheaply purchased. The extent to which
tho disaster told for the moment, must have
been llmitod: for such was the subsequent
ysor Of the assalling force that in littlo more
than an hour the fort surrendered--the
garrison numbering some hundred, including
the general in command, being taken prisoners !
Of war while the occupants of the outlying |
defcuses fled precipitately and in the widest dis
order, incoutibenIly leaving behind whatever
baggage and yaluables they possessed.
The absence of the subsidiary land forces
under Gen. Grant from participation in the
attack IL accounted for on grounds which re-
feet no shadow VI discredt on that officer |
Ills position at the time when the fleet came
in sight wM only four miles by a direct line
from the Fort; but, in order to reach point
where he could invest the Rebel Notifications,
e ia hal A. L..