An important Confederate fortification at a bend of the
Tennessee River, where it approaches the
Cumberland River within about 12 miles, on the right bank, and on a high hill opposite Fort Hickman.
At the beginning of February, 1862, a land force under
General Grant, and a flotilla of gunboats under
Commodore Foote, were sent to capture these two forts.
They appeared about 2 miles below
Fort Henry on Feb. 3.
That fort was armed with seventeen great guns, twelve of which swept the river, and the garrison and troops encamped outside of the fort numbered less than 3,000.
These were commanded by
General Tilghman, of
Maryland, a graduate of West Point Academy.
Foote placed four of his iron-clad gunboats in position to bombard the fort, while two of his unarmored vessels fished up torpedoes with which the
Confederates had strewn the river bottom.
Some of the troops went up the left side of the river to silence the guns of Fort Hieman, when the garrison fled.
Meanwhile
Foote opened (Feb. 6) a heavy fire on
Fort Henry.
It was so severe that in an hour the garrison were panic-stricken.
The troops outside of the fort had fled to
Fort Donelson (q. v.), 12 miles distant, on the
Cumberland River; and only the commander and less than 100 men remained in the fort to surrender to
Foote.
Grant and the land troops did not arrive until after the surrender, when the fort was turned over to him. The
Nationals lost two killed and thirty-eight wounded. Of the latter, twenty-nine were wounded and scalded on the gunboat
Essex by steam let out of the boilers by the piercing of a 32-pound shell.
As it passed it took off a portion of the head of
Lieut. S. B. Britton, the aide of
Captain Porter, of the
Essex.
This victory was a very important one.
The
Nationals were now fairly planted in the rear of the
Confederates at
Columbus, Ky.; and if they should capture
Fort Donelson,
[
381]
on the
Cumberland, the
Confederates believed their cause would be ruined in
Kentucky,
Tennessee, and
Missouri.
The first great step towards the capture of
Fort Donelson had been taken.
Halleck telegraphed to
McClellan, β
Fort Henry is
ours!
The flag of the
Union is re-established on the soil of
Tennessee.
It will never be removed.β
The
Secretary of the Navy wrote to
Foote: βThe country appreciates your gallant deeds, and this department desires to convey to you and your brave associates its profound thanks for the service you have rendered.β
