The National tribune., 1898-06-16
(CoPYRIGHT.)

To close the great avenues into the heart OF
the Confederacy two strong forts had been con-
structed, mainly nv slave labor, Mt a point some
SO or 80 miles up the Tennessee and Cumber-
1 land where those rivers first approach within
10 or - miles of each other 4 few miles south
of the Kentucky line, and north OF the Louis
vile & Memphis Railroad, two strong and
spacious works-Fort Henry, commanding
the Tennessee from its eastern bank, and
Fort Donelson, controlling the passage Of the
Cumberland from the west a little below the
Tennessee village of Dover.
A dirt road connected the two forts, whereof
the garrisous were expected TO support each
other if assailed Fort Henry, situated on q
point or bend of the river, and scarcely above
its surface when in flood, menaced the APP
preach by water for mile on either hand,
but was overlooked by three points within
cannon-shot on either bank of the river.
1t covered two or three acres of ground,
mounted II large guns, II of them hearing
upon any vessels approaching from below,
with spacious intrenched camp in its rear,
and wide abatis encirclng all 1t was de-
Tended by Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, OF Ken
lucky, with 1900 men.
To Brig Gen H. 5. Grant of Illinois. was
assigned the task of lis reduction, with the
powerful aid OF Commodore A. II. FoOe and
his fleet Of seven gunboats, four Of them par
TALLY iron-clad.
Leaving Cairo with some Is 900 men ON
steam Transports he moved up the Ohio to
the mouth Of the Tennessee. then assembled
that stream TO within 10 miles OF Fort Henry,
where his transports halted. while Commo-
doFe Fo9te with his gunboats, proceeded
cautiously up the river, sheiling the woods
en- either side 70 discover any masked bat
teries that might there be plated.
| Having pushed this reconnaissance far
enough to receive a 32-pOund ball through
| the unprotected side of one Of his beats, Gen.
| Grant decided that the proper landing place
| for the troops was about four miles below the
| fort where he and they were ce.arked ac
! cOrdipgly.
The rext day was spent in preparations,
and the next appointed for the attack; Gen.
| Grant directing The main body Of his forces,
under Gen. John A. McClernand, to move
diaeonally across the country and seize the
| road leading from the fort to Doneison and
Dover. while Gen. G. f. Smith with his
brigade advanced along the west bank of the
river. and Commodore Foote, with his gun
boats moved slowly up and attacked the fort
from tie water.
Commodore Foote formed his vessels in
two lines: the iron-aads Cincinnati flag
shipl. Essex. Carondelet. and st. Louis, in
front, while the old wooden Cones.oga. Tyler.
and Lexington, formed a secondfline some
distance iasiern, and out of range OF the
enemy's fire, throwing she'll over the IRON
clads into and about the fort.
Thus advancing slowly and firing deliber-
ately, the irt -clads steadily neared the fort.
using only their bow-guns, because unwill-
ing to expose their weak, unshetcred sides
to the heavy guns of the fort, one of them
having a caliber Of 1913 and another of 60
pounds, and but ~ of ours in all of our front
line being available.
For a moment only was there hesitation in
the attack; when. after an hours mutual
cannonade, 24-pound shot from the fort
pierced the Essex at an unguarded spot, and,
tearing through her thick oak planking as
though it had been cheese, penetrated her
starboard boiler, instantly filing her from
stem to stern with burning steam, killing
both her pilots at their post of duty, and
severely scalding Capt. w. ID. Porter and
nearly 40 Of his guners and rev.
Thus completely disabled, the Essex drifted
out of the action, to the great joy of the
rebels, who for moment thought the victory
their own; but her consorts kept on firing
were within 600 yards of the rebel guns,
whereof all but four had by this time been
slenced; one having burst, disabling every
man who served it, while the vent of the
great 10 inch columbiad had been closed,
| rendering it useless; while our tire at short
! range grew hotter and hotter.
Gen. McClernand, as Commodore Foote
had apprehended, had not yet worked his
way through the mry woods and over the
difficult trails he was obliged to traverse III
order to reach and occupy the main road
from Henry TO Donelson. Had he been dl-
rcctcd to start ut & instead OF II that morn
ing, he would probably have intercepted and
cap, urcd Tilghmans entire force. AS it was,
the latter says he ordered all but the hundred
or so inside the fort, aud employed in work.
ing its guns, to take the road to Donelson
under Col Heiman, his second in command
and that order was obeyed with great prompt
ness and celebrity.
Tighnan remained himself with the hand
full in the fort, and at las p. M, seeing
further defense alike impotent and hopeless,
and being urged by his officers to surrender
he, intending to negotiate for terms, raised a
flag of truce, which, being unperceived amid
the dense smoke, had no effect on the lire of
the feet Five minutes later, by the vice
of his officers, he. having ceased Ering.
lowered his flag, thereby surrenderins at
discretiOn.u a. Our loss in this conf CT. il,
addition to that on the1 Essex was one killed
and nine wounded on the Cincinnati: none
on our other vessels.
Gen. Tilghman says our total casualties
were reported tn him tat 3D. while his own
were 81 Commodore Fo0te reports his C. J.
lures at 60 or 20 men, besides the General and
his staff and a hospital ship containing 81 in
valids, with barrackst tents, ETC., sufficient
for 900 men.