Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-28
Nd DEFENSE OF FORT HENRY.

forces were variously estimated by us.
5000 being. think. the lowest. To OPP
pose this force Gen. Tilghman had less
than 1000 men-mostly raw regiments
armed with shotguns and hunting rifles:
in fact. the best equipped regiment OF his
command. the 10th Tennessee. was armed
with old fiint-lock Tower OF London
muskets that had dome the state some
service In the war of 1912. The general
opinion and final decision was that sue
cessful resistance to such an overwhelm-
ing force was an impossibility, that the
army must fall back and unite with Pill
low and Buckner at Fort Donaldson. Gen.
Tilghman, recognizing the difficulty Of
Withdrawing undisciplned troops from
the front of an active and superior op-
ponent, turned to me with the question,
Can you hold out for one hour against
a determined attack I replied that l
could. well, then. gentlemen. rejoin
ness for instant motion The garrison
left at the fort to cover the withdrawal
consisted Of part Of Company h. LIST Ten
nessee Artillery. Lieut.. Watts and fifty
four men.
The forenoon of February was spent
by both sides In making needful prepara-
tons for the approaching struggle. The
gunboats formed line of battle abreast
under the cover OF the island The Essex.
the Cincinnati. the Carondelet and the
St Louis. the first with four and the
others each with thirteen guns, formed
the van; the Tyler Conestoga and Lex
ington. with fifteen guns In all, formed
the second or rear line. Seeing the for
nation of battle. assigned to each gun
particular vessel to which 1t was to
pay it's especial compliments, and di-
rected that the guns be kept constantly
trained on the approaching boats Ac-
cepting the volunteered services of Capt.
Hayden (of the engfneers) to assist al
the Columbiad / took personal supervi,
sion of the rifle.
When they were out of cover of the
island the gunboats opened fire. and as
they advanced they increased the rapid
ity of their fire, until as they swung into
the main channel above the island they
showed one broad and leaping sheet OF
flame. At this point, the van being {
mile distant. the command was given t.
commence firing from the fort; and here
let me say that as pretty and as stimuli
taneous ''broadside'' was delivered a.
ever saw flash from the sides of {
friRate. The action now became general
and for the next twenty or thirty min
utes was on both sides, as determined
rapid and accurate as heart could wish
and apparently inclined i'm favor of the
fort The ironclad Essex, disabled by
shot through her boiler, dropped out o.
line; the fleet seemed to hesitate wher
a succession of untOward and unayoid
able accidents happened I'm the fort
thereupon the f1otilia continued to ad
vance.
First, the rifle gun, from which / hat
just been called, burst, not only with de
structive effect to those working it. bu
with disabling effect on those In its i'm
mediate vicinity. Going to the Columbiaa
as the only really effective gun left,
met Gen. Tilghnan and for the first tim,
knew that he had returned to the fort
/ supposed that he was with his retreat
ing army. While consulting with him ;
sudden exclamation drew me to the Co
lumbiad. which l found spiked with 1t
for the day, at least. The Federal com
mander, observing the silence of thes
two heavy guns. renewed his adyanc
, with increased precision of fire. Two o
, the thirty-two-pOunders were struck al
, most at the same instant, and the hyini
fragments OF the shattered guns an,
. bursted shells disabled every man at TIL
. two guns. His rife shot and shell pene
trated the earthworks as readily as bal
from navy Colt would pierce a pin
board, and soon SO disabled other gum
as to leave us but four capable of being
served.
. X x
Gen. Tilghman now consulted with MAJ
Gilmer and myself as to the situation
) and the decision was that further re
sistance would only entail q useless los
OF life. He, therefore, ordered me t,
strike the colors. now a dangerous a
well as a painful duty. The fagmast
which had been the center of fire, hai
been struck many times; the topmas
hung so far out of the perpendicular tina
it seemed likely to fall at any moment