ANOTHER GREAT VICTORY: The Capture of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River; THE WAR CARRIED INTO TENNESSEE (2/8/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 2/8/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

ST. LOUIS, Friday, Feb. 7.

The following is announced from Headquarters

Fort Henry is ours! The flag of the Union is reestablished on the soil of Tennessee. It will never be removed.

By command of Maj.-Gen. HALLECK.

W.W. SMITH,

Captain and Aid-de-Camp.

WASHINGTON, Friday, Feb. 7.

Secretary WELLES has received the following dispatch:

U.S. FLAG SHIP CINCINNATI, OFF FORT HENRY,

TENNESSEE RIVER, Feb. 6, 1862.

The gunboats under my command, the Essex, commander PORTER: the Carondelet, Commander WALKE; he Cincinnati, Commander STEMBEL; the St. Louis, Lieut.-Commanding PAULDING; the Conestoga, Lieut.-Commanding PHELPS; the Taylor, Lieut.-Commanding GWINN, and the Lexington, Lieut.-Commanding SHIRK, after a severe and rapid fire of one hour and a quarter, have captured Fort Henry, and have taken Gen. LLOYD TILGHMAN and his Staff, with sixty men, as prisoners.

The surrender to the gunboats was unconditional, as we kept an open fire upon the enemy until their flag was struck.

In half an hour after the surrender, I handed the fort and prisoners over to Gen. GRANT, commanding the army, on his arrival at the fort in force.

The Essex had a shot in her boilers, after fighting most effectually for two-thirds of the action, and was obliged to drop down the river. I hear that several of her men were scalded to death, including the two pilots.

She, with the other gunboats, officers and men' fought with the greatest gallantry.

The Cincinnati received thirty-one shots, and had one killed and eight wounded, two seriously.

The fort, with twenty guns and seventeen mortars, was defended by Gen. TILGHMAN with the most determined gallantry.

I will write as soon as possible.

I have sent Lieut.-Commanding PHILLIPS and three gunboats after the rebel gunboats.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

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To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4036148/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Another Great Victory: The Capture of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River – 2, 4
The Scene of our Naval Victory in Northern Tennessee – 3
Our First Victory in Tennessee – 4-5
The Great Mortar Fleet: The Vessels Nearly All Ready – 5
Reported Evacuation of Romney – 5
The Burnside Expedition: The Vessels and Troops Still at Hatteras Inlet – 5-6
News from Washington: The Treasury Note Bill Before the Finance Committee of the Senate – 6-7
Editorial: Our First Battle in Tennessee* – 7
Mr. Emerson on American Civilization – 7-8
The Mission of the Mortar Fleet – 8
Later from Port Royal: Arrival of the United States Sloop-of-War Savannah – 8
Affairs on the Upper Potomac: An Outrage of the Rebels under a Flag of Truce – 8
The Army and Navy – 8

*The print is bad on the Times Machine version. Here is a link to the on line version that is better, but there are some places the Times transcriber bot couldn’t make out what is says. => https://www.nytimes.com/1862/02/08/archives/our-first-battle-in-tennessee.html?searchResultPosition=1

[GreenLanternCorps]

Grant’s first victory on the road to Vicksburg...

[Bull Snipe]

Then continuing on the road to Appomattox.

[crz]

If they would have listened to Grant, that war might have been over in little over a year after this victory.

Instead, the pure SOB Halleck basically sacked Grant till he was forced to re-establish him back in command.

And the rumors that Grant was a drunk were just that. He drank when he was bored and it took just a glass or two and he was hammered.
He drank out of boredom. When his wife or son was around, he was at his best behavior.

[GreenLanternCorps]

I consider U. S. Grant to be the best field army commander is US history.

[crz]

5 armies he commanded. That did not happen until WW2.

And even then, Grant had complete say in how they operated.

That is, after they made Halleck stand aside and follow Grants direction.

Not bad for a man in his 40s.