February 10, 1862 – The Capture of Fort Henry

The telegraph reports the surrender of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river, after a short engagement with the gunboats and before the land force had arrived at the scene of action. It is also stated that our forces had advanced fifteen miles beyond Fort Henry and had taken possession of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad bridge. This is an important victory, if we have force enough to take advantage of it. In this event it will be attended with the most important and decisive results. The St. Louis Republican thus detailed the importance of General Grant’s expedition a few days ago:

If the communication between Bowling Green and Columbia can be cut off, the Union forces still have it in their power to achieve such a victory as will make the Confederates tremble from Nashville to Pensacola.

The rebel armies in Southern Kentucky represent two wings—Columbus at the west and Bowling Green it the east—with a totally inadequate center. Here is a line running nearly 150 miles which would require 200,000 troop to cover, whilst the Confederates do not muster the half of that number, if so many. The center is held by a brigade at Hopkinsville, and by Fort Henry on the Tennessee, and Fort Donelson (twelve miles distant) on the Cumberland. Those points occupied by the Federal forces, and a position taken near the State line, say at Hadensville, and the wings of the rebel army would be completely isolated, while both would be threatened in the rear and supplies for both measurably cut off. To such a result the finger of events now points. We interpret the movements going on at Cairo, Paducah and Smithland to mean an important expedition up the Cumberland and Tennessee river. If successful, Gen. Buell will have a comparatively easy task in dislodging the Con federates from Bowling Green, for with Clarksville so seriously menaced, and railroad connections thereby broken, they must fall back or fight under almost overwhelming disadvantages.

Nashville, too, is a location the rebels can not afford to lose without a desperate struggle. Up to about the 19th of January it was garrisoned by some two thousand secession troops, but after General Smith’s column had moved from Paducah it was reinforced by two thousand
more from Camp Beauregard, and this force may have been somewhat increased since.

Fort Henry is situated in the east bend of the Tennessee river, five or six miles below the Kentucky line. It was built in August, was intended, in conjunction with Fort Donelson, for the defense of the Cumberland and Tennessee valleys, but was not occupied more than nominally until Columbus was seized by General Polk in September. It lies quite low, being overlooked on the west by bluffs, which, we believe, have been mounted with cannon. The armament of the fort, according to the best information, consists of sixteen six, twelve snd thirty two pounders, but the fort being designed to repel an attack from the river, is not calculated to resist land forces approaching in the rear. General Smith might easily have taken it, but was not prepared to hold it with the forces he had, after General Grant had returned from his feint upon Columbus. We shall not be surprised to hear of General Tilghman, who commands at Fort Henry, evacuating the place upon the second approach of our troops.

Indiana State Sentinel, Indianapolis, IN

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