Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote to Gideon Welles, February 15, 1862

U. S. Flagship St. Louis,                     

Near Fort Donelson (via Paducah), February 15,1862.       

(Received February 16, 1802.)

I made an attack on Fort Donelson yesterday at 3 o'clock p. m., with four ironclad gunboats and two wooden ones, and after one hour and a quarter severe fighting, the latter part of the day within less than 400 yards of the fort, the wheel of this vessel and the tiller of the Louisville were shot away, rendering the two boats unmanageable. They then drifted down the river. The two remaining boats were also greatly damaged between wind and water, this vessel alone having received 59 shots and the others about half that number each. There were 54 killed and wounded in this attack, which we have reason to suppose would, in fifteen minutes more, could the action have been continued, have resulted in the capture of the fort bearing upon us, as the enemy was running from his batteries when the two gunboats helplessly drifted down the river from disabled steering apparatus, as the relieving tackles could not steer the vessels in the strong current, when the fleeing enemy returned to the river battery guns from which they had been driven and again hotly poured fire upon us. The enemy must have brought over twenty guns to bear upon our boats from the water battery and the main fort on the hill, while we could only return the fire with twelve bow guns from the four boats. One rifled gun aboard the Carondelet burst during the action.

The officers and men in this hotly contested but unequal fight behaved with the greatest gallantry and determination, all deploring the accident rendering two of our gunboats suddenly helpless in the narrow river and swift current. On consultation with General Grant and my own officers, as my services here until we can repair damages by bringing up a competent force from Cairo to attack the fort, are much less required than they are at Cairo, I shall proceed to that place with two of the disabled gunboats, leaving the two others here to protect the transports and with all dispatch prepare the mortar boats and the Benton with other boats to make an effectual attack upon Fort Donelson.

I have sent the Tyler to the Tennessee River to render impassable the bridge, so as to prevent the rebels at Columbus reinforcing their army at Fort Donelson.

A. H. Foote,                       

Flag-Officer, Comdg. Naval Forces, Western Division.

Hon. Gideon Welles,

Secretary Navy.

SOURCE: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume 22, p. 584-5