Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-29
The Fight mt Paducah-Furtller
Particulars.

CAIRO, March 28.-Forrest had about
seven thousand men in the attack on Padu-
cab. His line of battle was two and half
miles long. The fight lasted all afternoons;
four assaults were made on the Fort en-
masse, and were repulsed with great slaugh-
ter to the enemy. The gunboats fired six
hundred rounds. A large portion of the
town is in ruins. The rebels plundered
stores and carried off horses. During the
fight forty convalescents in the hospital
were captured. Forrest sent flag of truce
to exchange prisoners, but Col. Hick de-
clined.
Three hundred rebel dead lie in front of
our fort. Harris Burbridge was with the
rebels. Boats from Paducah at noon yes
terday report all quiet, and the citizens re-
turning to the town. Several women were
killed during the fight. Our loss is four
teen killed and forty-five wounded.
Seventeen thousand votes were cast at
the recent election in Arkansas; and only
two hundred against the new Constitution.
CAIRO, March 28.-The Peosta and Paw
Paw, tinclads, were the gunboats that par
ticipated in the fight at Paducah. They
opened fire simultaneously with the fort on
the enemy's advance into the city, and rem
dered invaluable service throughout the en-
gagement. After being once repulsed i'm
an assault on the fort Forrest sent COM
munication to Col. Hicks demanding the
surrender of the fort, troops and public
stores, promising if the demand was com
piled with our troops should be treated as
prisoners of war, but If compelled to storm
the fort they might expect no quarter.
Col. Hicks replied that he was placed
there to defend the fort, which he should do,
and peremptorily declined to surrender.
The enemy then made second and third
assault on the works, but were repulsed
each time with heavy loss. The rebels then
broke lines and formed In squads, occupied
houses and kept up fire till late in the
evening, when they were driven away, our
artillery being turned on all the buildings
occupied by them. On the way into the
which was consumed, and towards evening
burned the Quartermaster's building, the
steamer Dacotah, not Arizona, on the Ma
rine Railway, plundered stores of an inn
mense amount of goods, and took all the
horses:tbey could find. 5 FsHnyvNf 3
Some merchants lost twenty-five to fifty
thousand dollars worth of property.
Early next morning the. rebels again ap-
peared, when Col. Hicks burned all the
houses in musket range, but the enemy
made no advance, and after asking for an
exchange of prisoners, which was declined,
they retreated in the direction of Columbus.
Toward the close of the battle, it was dis
covered that the ammunition was nearly
exhausted, when Col. Hicks ordered that
should it give out, the fort should be de.
Tended by the bayonet as long as man re-
manned alive, which was received with
hearty cheers by all the troops. The ne
groes to the number of two hundred and
twenty in the fort fought with great gal
lantry. ttt =
ALI quiet at Paducah. yesterday. Our
forces were burying the dead. The enemy
had six small cannon. About fifty build
ings were burned, among them the hospital,
gas works, some of the finest residences in
the city; the Custom House, postoffice and
Continental Hotel were not injured. Our
troops were the 10th Illinois infantry. Col.
Hicks estimation of the negro regiment is
not learned. One hundred and twenty re-
.cruits from Minnesota arrived tonight, en-
route to Little Rock. .asIlsl3 l.t !,
The 34th and 26th Indiana veterans arriv-
ed en- route home. gIa dlf AJAX
Memphis papers of the 26th say cotton is
still inactive, although better feeling is
manifested than for several days. Prices
are still declining. Ordinary 4s@50, midi
ding 50@54. Receipts about 100 bales
shipments 400. ~. yo' ~ ="