The Enemy’s Raid Down The Tennessee River—The Situation Of Affairs Near Fort Henry
Memphis, Tenn. February 11.—There has been a heavy loss in steamboats on the Tennessee river, owing to the raid of the enemy’s gun-boats Lexington and Conestoga. The Sam Orr, Containing 170 pounds of powder and two submarine batteries, was set on fire at 8 o’clock on Friday evening, two miles above the Tennessee river bridge. On Friday and Saturday, the Appleton, Belle, and Lynn Boyd, were burned by the Confederates at the mouth of Duck River. The Sam Kirkman, the Julius and the Time (the last named containing $100000 worth of Government stores) were abandoned and burned on Saturday. The Dunbar was sunk in Cypress Creek. The Eastport was also sunk. The Cerro Gordo and the Sallie Ward were the only boats captured by theenemy; and the Robb is the only one that escaped uninjured. The Federal gun-boats have left the Tennessee River, but are expected to return soon. They took with them 20,000 pounds of Confederate salt pork, which they found at Florence; but refused to touch private property, or even the cotton which they found. Passenger trains have resumed their trips on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.
It is reported by way of Paris that there was fighting at Fort Donelson on Saturday but nothing of the kind has been telegraphed via Nashville. One General, two Captains, two Lieutenants and seventy-five privates, were captured in Fort Henry. Twenty-two dead bodies were found in the fort. The steam pipe of one of the Federal gun-boats broke, killing one man. The Federal troops have abandoned Fort Henry, and are now fortifying three high hills on the opposite side of the river, either of which will command the site of Fort Henry, which is now inundated and caving in on both sides. The new fortifications of the enemy are to be called Fort Angelo. The Federals threaten to take possession of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad within two weeks. They have easy access to it by means of their stern wheel boats.
The Camden Confederate, Camden, SC