U. S. Flag Steamer “Cincinnati,”
Off Fort Henry, Tennnesee River,
February 6th, 1862.
sir:
The gunboats under my command—the “Essex,” Commander Porter;
“Carondelet,” Commander Walke; “Cincinnati,” Commander Stemble; “St. Louis,”
Lieut. Commander Paulding; 'Conestoga,' Lieut. Commander Phelps; 'Taylor,'
Lieut. Commander Gwin; and the “Lexington,” Lieut. Commanding Shirk,—after a
severe and rapid fire of one hour and a quarter, have captured Fort Henry, and
taken General Lloyd Tilghman, and staff, with sixty men, as prisoners. The
surrender to the gunboats was unconditional, as we kept an open fire upon the
enemy until the flag was struck.
In half an hour after the surrender, I handed the fort and
prisoners over to General Grant, commanding the army, on his arrival at the
fort in force.
The “Essex” had a shot in her boilers after fighting most
effectively for two-thirds of the action, and was obliged to drop down the
river. I heard that several of the 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 man
killed and eight wounded, two seriously.
The fort, with twenty guns and seventeen mortars, was
defended by General Tilghman with the most determined gallantry.
Very Respectfully,
Your Ob't Servant,
A. H. Foote.
Hon. Gideon Welles,
Secretary of the Navy.
SOURCE: Henry Walke, Naval Scenes and Reminiscences of the Civil
War in the United States, p. 56
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