New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-22

HopfoIk Indecision ssemed everywhere 70 enss
and some % aa1ed at the course which events were tax
Ing MSSn%,sS st Snd
SAVED ali the ships guns. and stores even he
Ths ceomadore probably thought that by retaining
the Merrimac and her battery ne wou h made from the
outs,de The old Commodore who had fought gsi cana
for his country in former days was th ,;cers who
we're sent down to take the Merrimac away from Nor
folk 1t unfortunate nat ne ana mot SnoN him.
Every officer connected with the Norfolk navy aaru
came ia for share o, nnoyn that every ship and
eun could have saved. The brOadsue vi o,ti"c
,nantown which was ready for sea and only WALTZ
crew or The Plymouth in the same condition wS %d
with few op board have sseusnd Portsmonth and
prevented the channel from being % buildings
act tire 70. the work was done panic in which inc
coolest persons to have lost their heaus me
gu pecoent of Massachusetts volunteers under
Colonel Wadsworth. while the Pawnee OF hoeen With
srneions TO save what could and act as he thought
Guns in the Navy Yard had been spiked, with
the exception OF two hundred as wei a. noS S
bca Se ssaSy S S castle
whole yard and nifty good seameh on p Tad Norio and
ont of harms way After the arrival OF .ne from
The Tennsy guns aud the guns spiked me a %
thing looked hopeless to rec.iyod from the
department not to let snyth,ne determined ,de
tho hands OF ' Instead Of taking out the Mer-
rfmac he TOOK the Cumberland, which vessei WAS VI '
have been painful alternative to that faithful
old officer, Commodore Paudlng, VINO d 70 apply the
torch to historic ships OF the Navy anu had
S Sean so many years accommodating, especially
since he was aware e tl nsen prereHted had
not SO many days lost in deciding what 10 40 d
the had forth the mania Tor ad over the
burning of hayrick which ihey nave so' ''
All the Ships except tie Cumberland were filled with
combustbes and the whole saturated MIN on are nre
pared in the same than manner the anu rebels could
dry dock that had millions tobuild was nn
and hundred ssS ms las To the
with few exceptions, these attempts "sfu i 90 when all
the preparations completed The people OF M8r
drnamae that in a few hours ships and public works
which we're So essential the community wonIu De a
nn a' emnlovment and without food for their families
The Pawnee had towvd the Cumberland out OF line tne
those who were the public property 80
McCauley had gone to bed tnas hSn wS, mat the
force that had Norfolk for me PnipoSe 81
ben he tue was called up at midnight and informed
that the would be applied to everything ne d nnr
hardly realize the situation, aud was chagred ara NOR
titled ut idea OF abandoning his post whot I'm
tempt to defend It, At $50 a IN, April a Of deStrcon
began with the Merrimac and n Ten mano the trains
Oney astS
to the other ships and buildings were lgneu aeu Va"
surrounding country brilliantly ilinmlnaieu, reused
The Inhabitants of Norfolk and PORTSMOUTH r1uS S
from their sumbers looked with at the work Oh ae
struction. anu mothers clapns their onSn ,bsir OIL
springs Oh their support Yet this was nat } s
sawn "wari the best government earth they had
killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
ARMY AND NAVY Al FORT HENRY.
Tn the CHAPTER devoted to " The Capture OF fsIt
Henry by the Navy" Admiral Porter says
.f WnT
o,v other officer and saw that Bowling Green aud Co
lprbus could both be turned as soon as Henry ana
Donclson fell Halsck and others were making great
strategic movements which amounted to nothing, but
Grant kent his mind steadily fixed on these two forts
knowing the effect their fall would nave vi su - ~
january Grant visited Haleck AT ST. LOUIS am utSch!
Henry and Donelsou, winch General O. l. smith, VINO
had made reconnaissance reported eoua easy we "D dI
leck'5 orders and Flag Onicer FsOte, VINO c9mlaued
navy against the forts The desired permisssn was
finally granted but the gallant commander 81 thn army
contingent greatly hampered by detaiiea ,1
fions by the commandments Grant started
from Cairo ON the I'd OF February, aSon MN linn with
seven ruuboais. . General Grant ana rag OF
make Simultaneous attack, but it is pretty difficult
matter to such events III COMMUNIST Ho' GU liz
other in this Instance the roads were dreadful ana 1Ie
army was delayed that Il did not reach the Iot uht
some time after its surrender 10 the navy.
DONELSON.
The advance on aud capture Of Fort Donelson is
thus described:
ON the sth of February, 1862. General Grant tele
praphed to General Hasck Fort Henry is ours; the
runeoats slenced the teries before the investment
was completed. shall take and destroy Fort DOheissn
on the th and return Fort Henry The same reasons
which induced Grant to undertake me caPtuiv %
is TO get the control the Tennesee and Cumberland
Rivers and be able to penetrate INTO tne ncaf' o
on the 7th Of February his cavalry penetrated 10
within mile OF Fort DOnelsOn Dul they coiu
oinfo ion a
number of troops foote was nolinea OF Hraht leil
mnsisr ready TO attack batteries before the army
made ITS assault But ths great sa rise hi.
movement. The water overlooked the IlVer oanks anu
gave much rs 1t could 90 10 save SUITES
SN In the meantime the gunboats under Lieutenant
epce Ala frightening the Inhabitants ont OF Their WIS
and carrying comfort To- the Loyal e cy w,ters
While Grant making his movement 10 the rear OF
escape OF any garrison the gunboas OH The water
side preparing for the attack foote acoorinS "
lis own report did not consider himself properly piS-
pared for such adventure his force was not sum
say strong to M asS Grant he felt called upon
to do what he could. and at p w. on inc ia'h He
goe.s vessels were struck about fifty times each by
12s and 80 pound shot and had hfty-four officers ana
Ne regret that we chronicle victory for the
gunboats but it was fair stad-np hght wis ~
and Fooie did hesitate take the bull by inc horhs
and engage at 900 yards the best distance
gunboats forced TO drop out oil aelon' they
Lost no credit in doing. - ~,.-, 49,.
This victory belonged exclusively TO General Grant.
and no one can take him ota OF the credit OF
that great military feat. Ia which he showed MS nthess
10 lead the armies OF the Union. .
Grant was made % MajorGeneral, and VIC only regret
that the opportunity did not serve TO make foote
Rear Admiral and give some promotion TO his gallant
Having locked at all the details OF this interesting az
fair we feel obliged say that all the credit Tor the cap
frs of Fort DonesOn belongs to the army as there was
no truth that the enemy was 80 demon
allied by the Of the gnnboais that they coud not
he brought the following day III the
actions which resulted in their defeat AMI the surrender