Special Dispatch to the Chicago Tribune, February 9, 1862

FORT HENRY, Tenn., February 9, 1862

Via. Cairo, the 11th.

A force of the 2nd Illinois cavalry under Major Mudd, made a reconnoissance to-day in the direction of Fort Donelson.  An advance guard of some forty men, encountered a superior number of the rebel cavalry about seven miles on the main road to Dover.  Capt. Brink, ordnance officer, who accompanied the command, with Carson, were in the advance, and discovered the enemy and gave notice to our cavalry who were feeding some distance in the rear.  The rebels advanced on our small force and gave them battle to a cross road.  Some 20 more of our cavalry coming up to the assistance of our struggling little band, the enemy turned and took to flight with a loss of 5 killed and 23 prisoners, among whom was the captain of the rebel band.  Our loss was 1 man wounded and 1 horse killed.

Gen. Grant and staff to-day, also made a reconnoissance to within 4 miles of Fort Donelson, and a complete knowledge of the roads was obtained.

The Reconnoitering transport steamer H. H. Brown, in charge of Capt. Logan, aid to Gen. Grant, with Col. Riggins and Col. A. H. Markland, the military Mail Agent accompanying the army, made another trip to-day to the railroad bridge across the river at Danville, where a large quantity of army stores, wagons, hides and numerous other articles of value were obtained.

From All appearances in every direction from the Fort, the rebel retreat assumed a complete panic and stampede.  At Danville the quarters of the troops gave evidence that they fled while in the act of preparing either dinner or supper.  The cooking utensils contained the allowance of their morsel.  Beds and cabin furniture were strewn about in reckless confusion, and terror and dismay seem to have filled the breast of the occupants.

An unfinished letter from a soldier to his sister, was found, dated the 6th, (the day of the battle) which stated that the 7th regiment left there the night previous for the fort leaving every room for the conclusion that actual force at this place on the day of the capture of this Fort was not less than 12,000.

Col. Markland, by order of Gen. Grant, took possession of eleven bags of mail matter at Danville and closed the office yesterday.

Gen. Grant and staff visited Danville and took possession of a large amount of property of the same character as that taken to-day, besides the ferry steamer J. M. Martin, which was brought down to this point.

The bridge is a magnificent structure of about 1200 feet in length, besides about 400 feet of trestle work.  The piers of the spans, some nine in number, are built of granite, and in the strongest manner.  The trestle work has been partly destroyed to its being used by rebels.

Reinforcements are arriving very rapidly.  The 14th Iowa, the 13th Missouri, a battalion of Birge’s sharpshooters, the 43rd and 17th Illinois regiments, all arrived during last night and to-day.

The gunboats which went up the river after the capture of the fort have not yet been heard from.

SOURCE: “Special Dispatch to the Chicago Tribune,” Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Wednesday, February 12, 1862

Battle of Shiloh: Federal Positions Before the Confederate Attack

From a Sketch Prepared for the [Cincinnati] Gazette

Special Correspondent by Division Engineer Freeman.

REFERENCES.

Position of our Divisions and Brigades In camp on Sunday morning, before attack:

“1st.”	–	First Division, Major-General McClernand.
“2d.”	–	Second Division, Brigadier-General W. H. L. Wallace.
(Third Division, Major-General Wallace, at Crump’s Landing, 9 miles below.)
“4th.”	–	Fourth Division, Brigadier-General Hurlburt [sic].
“5th.”	–	Fifth Division, three Brigades (Buckland’s, Hildebrand’s and McDowell’s) Brigadier General Sherman – Log church known as “Shiloh,” at point Division Camp crosses the Corinth road; taken as headquarters rebel by Commander-in-Chief Sunday afternoon.
“6th.”	–	Sixth Division, Brigadier General Prentiss.
“7th.”	–	Stuart’s brigade of General Sherman’s Division, forming extreme left of our whole line.

– Abstracted from "Battle of Pittsburg," The Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Wednesday, April 16, 1862, p. 2

Home Papers

“Inclosed [sic] find $ – for Daily Gazette. I have been taking the Chicago Tribune, but wish to learn something of our own troops.” That’s the way to talk it. If citizens of our State wish to learn of the fate of Iowa regiments and their participation in the various battles fought, they must take Iowa papers. The idea of a man living in a State and not sufficiently identifying himself with that state as to interest himself in home matters to the extent of a newspaper subscription, is absurd, anyhow.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, April 18, 1862, p. 1

Special to the Chicago Tribune

The absence of official news from Pittsburg is in consequence of the want of telegraphic communication, the wires having been cut at several points in Tennessee by persons in the employ of the rebels. The Secretary of War has ordered that any one caught in this act of barbarism shall be shot on the spot. A man detected in cutting the wires in Virginia, was so served but a few days ago.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, April 17, 1862, p. 1

Maps

If the Chicago Tribune has the maps badly, as the Journal remarks, the case of the New York papers must be hopeless.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Wednesday Morning, April 16, 1862, p. 2

The Chicago Tribune says . . .

. . . that of the 60,000 Illinois soldiers in the field, more than 40,000 are Republicans. We presume the proportion in Iowa is the same, or perhaps a little larger, owing the number of Germans who have enlisted from this State. In the New England States, the political status of the enlisted soldiers is three Republicans to one Democrat.

– Published in the Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 16, 1862, p. 2

The overwhelming Democratic victory . . .

. . . in the Republican city of Chicago is a good joke on the Chicago Tribune. That paper has spread itself beyond all precedent. It has run the Government, commanded the Army and Navy, looked after Foreign affairs, and hen had time to intervene not only in the affairs of all the Western States, but even in the domestic affairs of counties and towns. Newspapers, as well as individuals, who charge themselves with so much public business, most always neglect their own affairs. The tribune, aside from its offensive oracular tone has been unscrupulous, corrupt, rotten. False to principle, to friends and to party, and true only to its selfish ends and supercilious and dogmatic instincts. The republicans of Chicago ought to establish a respectable, reliable Republican Newspaper and throw the Tribune overboard as soon as possible.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Thursday, April 17, 1862 and also in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862