THE CAMPAIGN IN KENTUCKY: The Recent Victory at Fort Henry; Preparations for Attacking Fort Donelson (2/9/1862)

Special dispatches to the Commercial and Gazette give additional details of the capture of Fort Henry.

At the time of the attack the rebel infantry were in their camp eating dinner. They abandoned everything, leaving thousands of shot-guns and all their camp equipage and clothing.

In pursuing the enemy. Maj. McCULLOUGH, of Col. DICKEY's Cavalry, captured six guns, and Col. JOHN A. LOGAN captured eight guns and thirty-three prisoners.

WASHINGTON, Saturday, Feb. 8. Dispatches received at Headquarters from Gen HALLECK say that, after the reduction of Fort Henry, our forces immediately proceeded up the river, in the direction of the railroad bridge, sixteen miles distant, and on the way reduced the batteries of the enemy on the other bank of the river. No doubt is entertained here that our troops soon thereafter took possession of the bridge over the Tennessee.

PVDUCAH, Ky., Tuesday, Feb. 4. The transports which left Cairo, yesterday, with troops on board, came straggling in here one at a time during all of last night, and immediately proceeded up the Tennessee River.

We reached a point ten miles this side of Fort Henry about daylight, where we found the gunboats St. Louis, Essex, Carondelet and Cincinnati lying at anchor.

The troops on board the new Uncle Sam, Illinois and Alex. Scott were here disembarked, and again re-embarked and landed four miles above, where the rest of the troops were also landed as fast as they arrived.

The gunboats weighed anchor upon our arrival and steamed up to within gunshot range of the fort, when an interchange of shot and shell was had between our boats and the fort, about twenty shots being fired on each side. The shooting was very accurate on both sides.

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

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

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/4036460/posts

The Campaign in Kentucky: The Recent Victory at Fort Henry – 2
The Burnside Expedition: Sailing of the Naval and Land Forces from Hatteras Inlet – 2-3
Important from the South: Total Failure of the Merrimac Experiment – 3-4
The Losses in the War – 4-5
The Indians – 5
News from Washington: Refusal of the Rebels to Receive the Prison Embassy – 5-6
The Retired Secretary of War: Correspondence between Mr. Cameron and President Lincoln – 6
Editorial: The Tennessee Victory and its Fruit – 6
Very Probable – 6
The Dismissal of Secretary Cameron – 6
Editorial: Jenkins at the White House – 6-7
The Merrimac as a Type of the Rebellion – 7

The article quotes the NY Times as saying:

"By returns at the War Department up to the 20th Decemb er, I learn that the mortality in our army since the war broke out will reach 22,000.
The number killed in battle, skirmishes, ets., is about 11,000; the number wounded, 17,000.
The number of prisoners in the South, and deserters, amount to 6,000."

My count as of December 20, battle-by-battle is 1,333 Union KIA, with 11,339 total casualties including KIA, wounded, captured & missing.

For Confederates the totals are 1,417 KIA, with 7,846 total casualties including KIA, wounded, captured & missing.

Of the two sets of numbers, Union numbers are likely more accurate since Confederate records are incomplete, at best.
What explains the discrepancies in counts I can't really imagine.

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of February 6,, 1862:
Engagements in Confederate states:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
South Carolina	1	1	1	3
Virginia	4	11	5	20
North Carolina	1	0	0	1
Florida	1	0	0	1
Louisiana	0	1	0	1
Tennessee	1	0	0	1
Total Engagements in CSA	9	13	6	28

Engagements in Union states/territories:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
Maryland	1	0	1	2
West Virginia	9	2	2	13
Missouri	11	9	1	21
New Mexico	0	5	0	5
Kentucky	4	3	2	9
Oklahoma	0	3	0	3
Total Engagements in Union	25	22	6	53
Total Engagements to date	34	35	12	81

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