Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-04-07
Attack on Paducah.

CAIRO, Marcn Zo.-Gen. forre6t mao
about 1000 men in the attack on Padu-
cab on the 25th ult. His line of battle
was two miles long The fight lasted al
the afternoon. Four assaults were made
on the fort en- ssasss, each of which was
repulsed with great slaughter to the enc
my. The gunboats fred 600 rounds.
A large portion of the town is in ruins
The rebels plundered the stores and car.
ried off horses during the fight. Forty
convalescents were captured. Forrest
sent fag-of.truce to exchange prisoners
but Col. Hicks declined.
Three hundred rebel dead lie in front o.
our fort. Generals Harris and Burbridg,
we're with the rebels.
Boats from Paducah report all quiet
the citizens all returning to the town.
Several women were killed during the
fight. Our loss was IA killed and As
wounded.
The Peosta and Pawpaw, iron.clads
we're the gun-boats which participated in
the battle, opening fire simultaneously
with the fort on the enemy's advance into
the city. and rendering valuable service
throughout the engagement.
After being once repulsed in the as
sault on the fort, Forrest sent COM
munication to Col. Hicks, demanding the
surrender of the fort, troops, aud public
stores. promising that, II the demand was
complied with, our troops should be
treated as prisoners Of war; but if be
was 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 upon the works, but were re-
pulsed each time with heavy losses.
The rebels then broke lines, formed in
squads, occupied the houses and kept up
a fire until late in the evening, when they
were driven away, our artillery making
the buildings too hot to hold them.
On their way into the city, the enemy
fred the railroad depot. which was con-
sumed, and toward evening they burned
the Quartermaster's building, and the
steamer Dacotah (not the Arisona.) on
the marine railway. The plundered the
stores Of an immense amount Of goods. and
took all the horses they could find.
Some merchants have lost from $685.
900 to $50. 900.
Early next morning. the rebels again
appearing. Col. Hicks burned all the
houses within musket range of the fort.
The enemy. however, made no advance.
and after asking for an exchange OF
prisoners, which was declined. they re-
tired in the direction of Columbus.
Dispatches from Cairo state that For
rest, with force of rebels seven thousand
strong, was reported to be within eight
miles Of Columbus, Kentucky, on Mon
day night. He had cut the telegraph
wires between that place and Cairo
General Forrest seems thus bent upon
pursuing his raid into Kentucky. Moth
ing new was transpiring at Memphis. -
Kentucky has been divided into two mil
itary districts by Gen. SchoAeld--the
Western under Gen. Ewing, running from
the Nashville Railroad to the Cuinber-
land river; the Eastern. under General
Hobson, from the railroad to the Big
Sandy. The express train from Louis
vile to Lebanon was captured by guer-
rillas on Monday, and two cars burned.
A guard of seventeen soldiers surrendered
to the enemy.