The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-05
Kentucky and Tennessee.
pErA1fs OF THH ATTACK
nss3 ONPADUCAH.
Forrest Repulsed Five Times.
His Force $500 Men and Four Pieces
,-, of Artillery.
THE TIN-CLADS In ACTION.
Especial Correspondent Of the N. Y. World
CAIRO, Illinois, March 29.


CAIRO, Illinois, March 29
PADUCAH ATTACKED BY FORREST.
On Friday morning last rumors were
prevalent in Paducah, Kentucky, that For.
rest with his entire army, was approaching
the city with the design Of attacking it.,
but the people had become so accustomed
to hearing such reports, that they paid very
little attention to what was said, until the
pickets were briven in at about o'clock in
the afternoon. AS soon as Col. Hicks, the
commander of the post, asccrtained that
the rebels were really coming, he gathered
all the troops into the fort and removed rs
many stores there as he could. About 2
PM, party bearing flag OF truce enter
ed the city, and in less than quarter of an
hosr the main body of the enemy marched
in on two different roads. great deal of
excitement among the inhabitants en,ued {;
men, women and children left their houses,
an crowded down to the river, and as
many of them as could get on to the wharf
boat-which was towed across the river to
the Illinois side by small ferry boat
When this little tug returned to the rescue
of other persons, she was fired upon by the
rebel sharpshoo;ers aud driven back across
the river:
DEMAND FOR SURRENDER.
General FORESTS force consisted Of six
thousand five hundred mounted men and
four email pieces of artillery, divided into
three brigades under Generals Burhrdge,
Thompson, and Harris. Five hundred men
were detached to plunder the city and keep
the gunboats engaged, while the main body
assaulted the fort. The men were drawn
up in line of battle about two and half
miles long, the right resting on the river
and the left forming an arc of circle south
of the Notifications.
Forrest Immediately demanded surren-
der, saying be had sufficient force to cap
ture the fort, but 1desired to avoid unnec-
essary bloodshed; that if his terms We're
complied with the captives should be treat
ed rs prisoners of war, but if they were not
and fighting should ensuc, he would give
no quarter. Colonel Hicks, who had with
him only six hundred inrn, and many Of
them inexperienced in battle, replied that
as he had been placed in command of the
place and ordered to hold it, and as he had
been accustomed to obey the orders of his
superior officers, he could not, as an honor
able soldier, comply with the demand
While this correspondence was going on,
Forrest advanced his sharpshooters, and
placed them in buildings where they could
pick off gunners and officers.
THE FIGHT.
As soon as Forrest read Col. Hicks reply
he ordered an immediate advance, aud the
whole line, with terrific yell, dashed for
ward toward the works, from which the
guns lightened and thnndered, striking
many an assailant to the ground; but they
faltered not; on they went across the ditch,
up the walls; back they We're driven; again
a wave rolled forward, then receded, until
the masses were repulsed five times, all
from one side of the fort.
The sharpshooters in the houses kept up
an incessant fire upon the garrison; who
turned their guns upon the buildings, demol
ishing them and driving the rebels out.
In the meantiwe, the tin clad gunboafs,
Peosta and Paw Paw, opened their bat
teries upon the enemy in the houses on the
river bank, and those who were traversing
the streets in quest of punder. A large
number of houses were set on fire by the
shells from the boats and fort, and entirely
consumed. All of the lower part OF the
city was thus destroyed. Pillaging was
kept up during the whole of the afternoon.
A captain and squad of men started to
ward the marine ways-the men some dis
rance in advance-and, reaching the ways,
destroyed portion Of the works and set fire
the steamer Dacotah, which was undergo
ing repairs; it was entirely consumed. The
captain, seeing a sergeant in Federal uni
form, rode up to him and ordered him to
surrender, but the sergeant replied with a
shot from his gun. which brought the cap
tain lifeless to the ground. Quickly seiz,
ing the rebels arms, the sergeant made his
way to the fort and joined his comrades. A
number of citizens went into the fort and
fought bravely.
Firing continued until nearly midnight
on Friday, after which time all became
Quiet, and scarcely shot was heard until
after the retreat of Forrest, which took
place Saturday afternoon about 3 O'clock.
The enemy retired toward Mayfeld, taking
their wounded, aoout one thousand, with
them. Previous to leaving, Forrest, who
had taken some forty convalescents from
tho hospital lrisonsrs, sent in q request to
exchange them for Confederate prisoners,
man for man; he also stated that he had
about four hundred other prisoners, taken
at Union City day or two before, but Col.
Hicks said that be did not feel authorized
to make any such exchange, and it was not
done. .--...