Latest Northern news.
Graphic account of the surrender of Fort Henry
important Decision in regard to the property of a Virginian
interesting European news
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From our Northern files, of the 12th instant, we gather the following interesting intelligence:
The Fort Henry surrender.
Cairo, Ill Feb. 7,
--Yesterday the anxiously expected order to move was given.-- At 8 o'clock the advance of McClernand's first brigade, Colonel Oglesby commanding, began to move on the Eastern side of the river.
At half-past 10 o'clock the gunboats were signalled by Flag Officer A. R. Foote to get under way, and slowly steamed up the river in the following order: The gunboat Cincinnati flag ship, thirteen guns, commanded by R. N. Stember, United States Navy, followed on the right by the st. Louis, thirteen guns, Commander Leonard Paulding, United states Navy; Carondelet, thirteen guns, Commander Henry Walke, United States Navy; Essex, seven guns, Commander william D. Porter, United States Navy.
These boats are iron clad.
They were followed by the gunboat Conestogs, seven guns, Lieutenant Commanding Phelps, United States Navy; Lexington, seven guns, Lieutenant Commanding J. W. Shirk, United States Navy, and Tyler, seven guns, Lieutenant Commanding W. Gwin, United States Navy.
Fort Henry is situated on the left bank of the river, at a point one and a half miles above the head of Panther Island, on a bend which the river makes at that point to the west.
There is a channel on either side of the island; the eastern or main channel is for the greater part of its length within sight of the rebel guns, while the approach by the western channel is covered by the heavy timber of the island.
The gunboats, under a good head of steam, entered the western channel, in the order before stated.
Full and complete orders had been given by the flag officer to each of the commanders, and they moved into and up the channel with the utmost precision and regularity.
But a short time before the air was vocal with music as the different regiments filed into the deep forests on either side of the river, the clear notes of the bugle, the roll of drums, and the national airs of full bands reaching the ear from all sides.
But, as if by preconcerted arrangement, when all hands beat to quarters, there came a silence, interrupted only by the laborious puffing of the steamers.
On moved the fleet not a word was spoken.--The silence was suggestive, almost oppressive; but it was of short duration.
In a short time the head of Panther Island was reached by the first our boats, and the rebel fortifications, with rebellion in brilliant colors floating over them, were in full view.
The boats moved into line of battle, and at thirty-six minutes past twelve the flag-ship opened fire, throwing an eight-inch shell, the Carondelet another, and the St. Louis and Essex on the instant hurling eighty-pound rifle shells straight into the fortifications.
As the sound of our guns reached the troops on shore, they burst into the wildest cheers, and involuntarily broke into a double-quick.
The rebel batteries replied with all the guns they could bring to hear.--The battle was now fairly opened.
The rebels used eleven guns, including a rified twenty-four, and a monster throwing a one hundred and twenty-eight pound shot.
The gunboats using only the bow guns, had in the action the same; number of eight-inch Dahlgrens, and six and seven-inch rifles.
The action was commenced at a range of one and a half miles, using fifteen-second fuses.
The cannonade was now almost incessant, the guns on both sides being remarkably well served.--Our gunboats kept steadily on their course, firing as fast as the pieces could be charged.
Without checking their speed an instant, they continued, with their bows on, straight for the fort, every movement indicating a fixed, unchangeable determination to run straight to the rebel batteries.
As soon as the three rear boats — Conestoga, Lexington, and Tyler — reached the head of the island, they opened with their heaviest guns, throwing shell over the other boats.
About fifty minutes after the engagement commenced, a forty-two pound shot struck the Essex just above the port, on her port bow, killing instantly S. B. Britton, Master's Mate, cutting his head completely off — passing through the bulwark, and stove in one of the flues of the starboard boiler.
The boat was instantly filled with steam, The pilots — March Ford, of Pittsburgh, and James McBride, of Cincinnati — were scalded so that they died instantly.
Ford was found with one hand on the wheel and the other on the bellrope.
Twenty-six of the officers and men were killed and wounded, but one by shot.
The Essex, being completely disabled, dropped down the stream, and was towed by a tug to Camp Ralleck.
At this time the rebels, couraged by the disabling of the Essex, redoubled their fire, raining a storm of shot and shell upon the remaining three boats.--Our boats still kept on up to within three hundred yards of the fort, never ceasing their fire until, at forty-six minutes after one o'clock, on the 6th day of February, 1862, the rebel flag came down by the run, a white flag was shown, and fort Henry was ours.
The Cincinnati was hit by thirty-one shots, Esser four, St. Louis seven.
Our loss will not exceed fifteen.
The action lasted just one hour and twelve minutes. During that time the Cincinnati fired from four guns one hundred and twelve shots, using her port rifle a few times; the St. Louis one hundred and six shots from her three how guns, two rified and one smooth; the Essex fifty-five.
The number of shots fired by the others I have not yet obtained.
A rebel officer of artillery informed me that they fired fully three hundred times from their batteries.
Our officers deem his estimate correct.
As the flag came down, the St. Louis boarders sprang into their boats and were almost instantly on shore.
An officer inquired for the flag officer of the fleet.
The gig of the flagship came up and conveyed Brigadier.
General Tilghman to the deck of the Cincinnati.
Being introduced to the old hero, he remarked that he was ‘"gratified to surrender, if surrender he must, to so brave an officer as Flag-Officer Foots."’ Flag Officer Foote replied; ‘"You do right in surrendering, sir; I should not have done it if you had sunk all my boats.
Your surrender, sir, must be unconditional; I can accept no other."’.
Such is the history of this most brilliant naval victory.
The old flag has been planted on the walls of a rebel fort in Western Tennessee by the gallant blue jackets.
Officers and men all worked with a bravery and will that have earned them the thanks of the Union.
Too much of the credit of this victory cannot be awarded to Flag-Officer Foote, who has labored incessantly in the preparation of his fleet, and finally, when the time for action came, left a sick bed, and, with hill life in his hands, struck this blow for the old flag.
The prisoners taken in the fort are; Brigadier.
Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, of Kentucky, a graduate of West Point; Maj. W. L. McCommice, of Tennessee, assistant Adjutant General; Captain H. L. Jones, of Kentucky, Brigadier Quartermaster; Capt. J. H. Hayden, of Tennessee, Chief of Engineers; Capt. John McLoughlin, of Tennessee, Quartermaster; Capt. Jesse Taylor, of Tennessee, commanding garrison; Capt. G. R. G. Jones, of Tennessee; Lieut. W. Ormsby Watts; Lieut. Frederick J. Wellen, and sixty privates.
The guns taken in the fort are one 128 pounder, into the muzzle of which an eight-inch shell was fired by one of the gunboats; one 24-pounder rifle, which exploded; two 42-pounders, smooth; ten 32 pounder, do; one 24 pounder, do; two 12-pounders do., with three 6-pounders, do., and five 6-pounders, rified, found outside the entrenchments — Also, a large quantity of muskets, principally flint locks, Harper's Ferry, 1828; a large quantity of ammunition; all their tents and camp equipage; blankets, and all the clothing except that which they had on their backs.
The following infantry, in addition to the artillery, are known to have been there in the morning; 10th Tennessee, 4th Mississippi, 48th Tennessee, 51 at Tennessee, 15th Arkansas, one hundred Alabama troops, and five hundred Tennessee cavalry.
They fled early in the battle.
Our land forces did not participate in the action.
The expedition up the Tennessee — the ‘"old Flag,"’ and the joy of the people, &c.
Cincinnati, Feb. 12
--The special dispatches to the Gazette and Commercial, dated Fort Henry, 10th inst., give the following account of the expedition up the Tennessee river after the capture of Fort Henry.
The gunboats Lexington, Conestoga, and Tyler gave chase to the rebel steamer Dunbar, and reaching the Memphis and Louisville Railroad bridge our troops set fire to a portion of it, and took off a quantity of stores, "c., and then passed on in chase of the Dunbar, but did not overtake her, and it is supposed she escaped by running in some creek during the night.
The gunboats then went on to Florence, Alabama, the head of navigation, on the Tennessee river, a distance of 250 miles from Paducah.
Everywhere along the river they were received with astonishing welcome by numerous Union families in Southern Tennessee and Northern Alabama, and at the towns along the river the ‘ "old flag"’ was looked upon with unmistakable joy and balled as a redeemer.
At many point is the sight of the boats, with Stars and Strips, was halted with shouts of joy.
Captain G Win, of the gunboat Tyler, recruited thirty man for the service on the gunboats, and says as got enough to the whole
The people of
to find the Stars and Stripes once more their protection, that they prepared to give a ball to the officers of the gunboats, but they could not remain to accept the courtesies.
Wherever our boats landed and the people became assured that we did not come to destroy, but to save, they seemed to have no means too extravagant to express their delight and joy.
Our boats captured four steamers, including an unfinished gunboat, and burned seven others.
We also captured a large quantity of stores and 180 stand of arms.
The boats go up the river again this morning.
The weather is improving and the roads are drying.
The Commercial says our army in Central Kentucky is in motion, and that Gen. Nelson's Division is marching along the Glasgow turnpike.
Official Dispatch to Flag-Officer Poote.
Washington, Feb. 12
--The following Is Lieut. Commanding Phillips's official report to Flag- Officer Foote, received to-day at the headquarters of the army by telegraph from Cairo.
Gunboat Conestoga, Railroad Crossing Tennessee River, February 10, 1862.
Sir:
We have returned to this point from au entirely successful expedition to Florence, at the foot of the Muscle Shoals in Alabama.
The rebels were forced to leave six steamers, and we captured two others, besides the half- complete gunboat Eastport.
The steamers burned were freighted with rebel military stores.
The Eastport has about 250,000 feet of Lumber or board.
We captured two hundred stand of arms and a quantity of clothing and stores, and we destroyed the encampment of Col. Crews at Savannah, Tennessee.
We found the Union sentiment strong.
Sir:
