ices, until we can repair damages by bringing up a competent force from Cairo to attack the fort, are much less required here than they are at Cairo, I shall proceed to that point with two of the disabled boats, 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 Taylor to the Tennessee River to render impassable the bridge, so as to prevent the rebels at Columbus reinforcing their army at Fort Donelson. I am informed that the rebel batteries were served with the best gunners from Columbus. I transmit herewith a list of casualties. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"A. H. FOOTE,

"Flag-Officer, commanding U. S. N. Forces, Western Waters. "The Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.”

A second dispatch announces the capture of the fort by General Grant:

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"TO THE HON. GIDEON WELLES:

"CAIRO, February 17, 1862.

"The Carondelet has just arrived from Donelson, and brings information of the capture of the fort by the land forces yesterday morning, with fifteen thousand prisoners, including Buckner and Johnson. Loss heavy on both sides. Floyd escaped with five thousand men during the night. I go up as soon as possible with the gun-boats. Will proceed to Clarksville. Eight mortar-boats are on the way, with which I hope to attack Clarksville. My wound is painful, but not dangerous.

"The army behaved gloriously. I shall be able to take but two ironclad gun-boats with me, as the others are disabled. The trophies are immense. The particulars will soon be given.

"A. H. FOOTE, Flag-Officer."

The commodore's wound was not considered severe at the time, although it was painful, and he made light of it, not suffering it to interfere with his active duties. But as it was the immediate cause of his being compelled some months later to throw up his command at the West, and as it is probable, combined with the great burdens laid on him, that it was a remote cause of aggravating his last fatal disease, therefore, by reason of this and other valuable lives that were forfeited, a mourn

ful interest is attached to the siege of Fort Donelson, the then greatest victory of the war. Commodore Foote was, in fact, twice wounded, both times apparently slightly— though it proved not to be so in the end-in this battle. He had stepped into the pilot-house to see that the boat was kept in position. A solid shot, hurled at a distance of less than four hundred yards, struck the pilot-house at an angle of forty-five degrees which gives some idea of the fort's elevation and the immense disadvantage at which the gun-boats foughtpenetrated the wood, thirteen inches in thickness, and the iron, an inch and a quarter thick, and filled the pilot-house with broken fragments of iron and missiles of destruction. The pilot was instantly killed, and the commodore was struck by a fragment on the foot. At that moment a second shot, fired by the wooden gun-boat Taylor, that lay behind, came across the tiller-ropes, disabling the "relieving tackle" at the helm; and it was this shot that rendered the boat unmanageable. One account says that the commodore was taken up senseless, his leg bruised almost to a jelly from his ankle to his hip; but as the versions of this whole affair vary considerably in their details, we give his own brief letter to his wife in which he speaks of the circumstance:

"CAIRO, TELEGRAPH OFFICE, February 16, 1862. "MY DEAR WIFE,-I telegraphed you from Paducah last night that Fort Donelson was not taken, but that I was slightly wounded, once at a gun and once in the pilot-house. It was by a piece of spent shot once, and a splinter once, but only slightly, on my left arm and left foot, which puts me on crutches for a few days; but I will be running about in less time than a week. I will not go so near again, although at Fort Henry I produced an effect by it. We ought to have been victorious at Donelson, as we fought harder than at Henry. I went into it against my judgment by order of Halleck. We had fifty-four killed and wounded, and fifty-nine shots in one vessel-a thing never before heard of in a naval fight. I have sent up four mortars, and hope to go again myself to-night; but we will lay off at a long distance. I shall not go near until

Telegram from G. B. McClellan.

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the Benton is ready, and they can't hurt her; so don't feel uneasy about me. I consider my personal danger almost over. Upon my word, you are cool in response to Fort Henry; but, never mind, 'you are a humbug.' "I don't feel depressed much about Fort Donelson, only in its effect upon our cause; for I fought desperately, but against my judgment, and I am above all blame. I have an avalanche of complimentary letters from all quarters, from strangers as well as friends; but I suppose that the Donelson affair will check them-but we deserve even more credit for that than for Fort Henry. But God's will be done in all cases.

"I am now at the telegraph office by request of General McClellan, to talk with him by cipher. I send you his first telegram, which you may read if you can. I had a severe headache in the last action, but fought it coolly and determinedly, without a moment's flinching; and officers and men have unbounded confidence in me, and I tell them, 'Not unto us,' etc. "I will, if I can, add a few words, and do you remain quiet, and easy till you hear further from me. To Emily kisses, and love to 'folks' and friends who inquire after me.

"Just as I wrote 'me' I received the inclosed telegram from McClellan. We are now talking. I may go back to-night or to-morrow morning if I can be spared. I have been too much absorbed in war matters for Sunday-still hope in God in all things.

One of the telegrams referred to in the above is the following:

"TO FLAG-OFFICER A. H. FOOTE:

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"WASHINGTON, February 16, 1862.

'Sorry you are wounded. How seriously? Your conduct was magnificent. With what force do you return? I send six hundred sailors for you to-morrow.

Give me details.

"G. B. MCCLELLAN, Com.-in-Chief U. S. A."

These two additional letters of Commodore Foote to his wife at this time, written as they were with unconstrained. freedom, let us into his inmost feelings:

"FLAG-STEAMER CONESTOGA,' NEAR PADUCAH,
February 17, 1862.

"MY DEAR WIFE,-The steamer trembles as we are pressing her hard up to fourteen knots for Fort Donelson. I take Phelps, a glorious offi

Q

cer, as flag-captain of the Benton, and will then have an easy time myself. He is bold and cautious.*

"You need have no fears about us now, as we will keep off a good distance from the fort at Clarksville, and let the mortar-boats do most of the work. I hope to find two of your letters, which are adrift somewhere, as they were sent to me at Fort Donelson. I have but little idea that the rebels will make a stand at Columbus; they will abandon it now that the Tennessee and Cumberland are about being cleanly swept out.

"I hope in a week or two to throw away my crutches and be well again. My two little wounds at the gun and the pilot-house would give me no trouble if one of them had not been on the foot. I can not write, we are so much shaken up.

"I have hosts of papers sent me, as well as letters; but I will be a ninedays' lion only, as this war brings out men too fast for any one to attract attention long.

"I shall have a good sleep to-night with a wet cloth on my left foot, and I hope to be rid of its bother soon.

"May God watch over and preserve you all is the prayer of

"Ever your affectionate husband,

A. H. FOOTE.”

"U. S. FLAG-STEAMER 'CONESTOGA,' Fort Donelson,

CUMBERLAND RIVER, Feb. 18, 1862.

"MY DEAR WIFE,-- Yours of the 7th reached me to-day. I telegraphed at the close of the fight at Fort Donelson, where we so demoralized the rebels that the fort fell a prey to the army the next day, as they are afraid to see the black boats coming into their teeth and belching forth shot and shells. A rebel colonel told one of our officers to-day that the army never could have taken the fort had it not been for the gun-boats. We came within an ace of getting it, as two hundred yards farther would have placed us so that their guns could not bear upon us, and then we would have mowed them down; but I am satisfied and rather glad that the army did take the fort, as they have fought like tigers and lost almost two thousand men. It was a horrid fight; and Aunty would think so if she saw the mutilated dead. It is an exceedingly strong fort, and the rebels had no idea it could be taken. One of the gun-boats has burned John Bell's iron rolling-mill, with property worth two hundred thousand dollars, and took his partner prisoner. I go up with this vessel and an iron-clad to-morrow on a reconnoissance as far as Clarksville.

* A man evidently after his own heart.

His Opinion concerning Fort Donelson.

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Had I had time to do this before I made the attack on Fort Donelson, I should have taken it. On Friday we hope to try our hand on Clarksville with four boats and eight mortars. They can not stand it long. I consider that our danger is past, and you need not in the future be at all uneasy. Generals Grant and Smith have been to see me to-day. We are all friendly as brothers; and I have strong faith and hope, under God, that we now shall have victory upon victory.

"I will not describe the scene here—the taking off of twelve thousand prisoners—the dead and wounded on the shore-the bands playing all the while the good spirits and life of our people-the number of steamboats-the battered forts and riddled houses in Dover, etc., etc. I have for you a pair of double heavy rebel blankets. I have also for the boys a double-barreled gun. I am tired; still on crutches, but am getting better. Kisses and love to the children. Affectionately, A. H. F."

There can be no doubt, judging from these letters and other evidences, that Foote truly thought he had with his gun-boats nearly accomplished the subdual of the fort, even as he had done in the case of Fort Henry. He said more than once that within ten or fifteen minutes he would have done it. He probably may have erred in this, since the two cases were not entirely parallel, owing to the greatly superior strength of Fort Donelson, and the much larger army force within its walls. But we have his own opinion in the case distinctly averred, and he was certainly no incompetent judge. He went into the fight, as he says, " against his own judgment." He did not consider his boats ready for the conflict, and the event showed he was right; and, moreover, he had not time to get up his mortar-fleet, which he had confidently depended upon in this second more important and difficult service. On the 11th of February he wrote to Secretary Welles:

"I leave again to-night with the Louisville, Pittsburg, and St. Louis, to co-operate with the army in the attack on Fort Donelson. I go reluctantly, as we are very short of men; and transferring men from vessel to vessel, as we have to do, is having a very demoralizing effect upon them. Twenty-eight men ran off to-day, hearing that they were to be sent out of their vessels. I do hope that the six hundred men will be sent imme