OPERATIONS IN TENNESSEE: Additional Details of the Victory at Fort Henry; GREAT STRENGTH OF THE POSITION (2/14/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 2/14/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

FORT HENRY, Friday, Feb. 7, 1862.

The list of prisoners taken which I sent you yesterday was incomplete, and I will therefore give if again:

Brigadier (acting Major) Gen. FLOYD TILGHMAN.
Capt. H.L. JONES, Quartermaster and Aid-de-Camp.
Capt. J.H. HAYDON, Engineer.
Capt. JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, Quartermaster.
Major W. MCCORNICO, Assistant Adjutant-General.
Capt. JESSE TAYLOR, Commander of Artillery.
Lieut. W.O. WATTS.
Lieut. FRED. J. WELLER.

There was also a detachment of volunteer artillerists, under GEO. R.G. JONES. The last-named individual is a renegade Northerner, a resident of Dubuque, Iowa, and a son of Hon. GEO. W. JONES, late Minister to Bogota, and now Minister at Fort Lafayette. The son is a young man who never did anything in particular, except to use a subsistence from the fortune which his father earned, or rather gained from the people of Iowa; yet the moment the war broke out, he, together with a half dozen other fellows from Dubuque, bolted South and offered his services to the rebel Government. He has always lived North, has been supported by the North, (through his father,) and turns against the country which has fed him at the very first opportunity to raise his hand against his patron and supporter. A large number of his fellow townsmen are here, who became so indignant at finding this young ingrate, in this place, ready to train his guns upon his former associates, that they discussed the propriety of shooting him. Wiser counsels, however, prevailed, and he is left to enjoy his infamy undisturbed.

The strength of Fort Henry has been very much under estimated. Instead of a simple breastwork along the river, it is a regular fort of immense strength, both in build and armament. The latter is made up as follows:

[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

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/4037947/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Operations in Tennessee: Additional Details of the Victory at Fort Henry – 2-4
The Expedition to Alabama: Further Particulars of the Trip of the Gunboats up the Tennessee – 4
Operations Against Fort Donelson: Transfer of Commodore Foote’s Gunboats to the Cumberland – 4
News from Fortress Monroe: No Further Intelligence from the Burnside Expedition – 4
Important from Washington: Passage of the Treasury Note Bill in the Senate – 5
No Quarter! – 5
The Health of Secretary Stanton – 5
Army Movements – 5
Editorial: Battles Lost and Won – 5-6
The Inventor of the Code of Army Signals – 6

[BroJoeK]

The war's 82nd engagement (by my count), the Battle of Fort Donelson begins "today", the 14th.
It will be the Union's 35th victory, against 35 Confederate victories and 12 inconclusive.

Tennessee 1862 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
Feb 6	Fort Henry, TN	Union Army of TN + West Flotilla (Grant, Foote ~15,000) & Confederate Army of Cent KY (Tilghman ~3,200)	Union 40-total, Confederates 79-total (15 killed)	USA
Feb 14-16	Fort Donelson, TN	Union Army of the Tennessee + Mississippi River Squadron (Grant, Foote -24,531) & Confederate Army of Central KY + garrison (Floyd, Pillow, Buchner -16,171)	Union 2,691-total (507-killed), Confederates 13,846-total (327-killed)	USA

The Confederate garrison's surrender will bring the war's total battle casualties to nearly 41,000 including 3,600 killed in action.

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of February 16, 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	2	0	0	2
Total Engagements in CSA	10	13	6	29

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	35	35	12	82