From the very first, the fire of the rebel guns seemed directed at the Essex. In their first volley two thirty-two pound shots struck the Essex on the starboard bow, indenting deeply the iron sheathing, and then glanced off, down the river, while a perfect storm of the iron missiles whistled over her decks, and plowed into the water on either side. She received in all eleven shots—one of which carried death through the whole length of the vessel. It entered a larboard port, carried off the head of the master’s mate, and passing on, entered the boiler. The steam and water poured out, filling the whole space between decks, and causing more destruction than all the enemy’s missiles put together—four men were instantly suffocated, and some twenty-five severely scalded, among whom was the gallant Commander Porter. The two pilots, who were in the pilot-house above, had no escape except through a passage from below, and up this the steam rushed, as if coming from a safety-valve, and of course with fatal effect. Both these poor men perished.
Of course the Essex was thenceforth unmanageable. She slowly drifted down the main channel, and was soon after met by a steamer, which towed her down to the place occupied by the boats before starting. Soon after the Essex became disabled, the pelting of the iron storm proved too hot for endurance, and the rebel flag came rapidly down. The firing on the part of the gunboats immediately ceased, and messengers were sent off from the flag-boat, which found, upon landing, that the rebels were disposed to an unconditional surrender. In scarcely more than an hour after the first attack, the flag of Fort Henry was in the dust.
The fort was soon after taken possession of, and it was found that the sum total of rebel prisoners was between seventy and one hundred, the balance having left the night before on the steamer Dunbar.
Among those who surrendered were Brigadier-General Tilghman, Major Corrico, Colonel Carmichael, Captain Hayden, of the Engineers, and Captain Miller, with several other commissioned officers.
Ten of the rebels were found killed, and some twelve or fifteen wounded. Three hundred and six tents were found on the west side of the river, and about as many near the fort, all of which bore evidences of the haste with which the rebels had evacuated their quarters. Several hundred stands of arms were found, chiefly squirrel rifles and double-barrelled shot-guns, also a large amount of clothing, forage, provisions, wagons, mules and horses.
There was a large supply of ammunition, and when the Union forces entered the fort there was beside each gun an abundance unexpended. The tents were new and of excellent make, sufficient to shelter five or six thousand men. The enemy had flour, corn, bacon and sugar in large quantities, but no salt, and not a large supply of beef.
There were nineteen guns in position, of the following calibre: two 128-pounders, one 80-pounder, two 42-pounders, rifled, ten 32-pounders, two 24-pound howitzers, two 12-pound howitzers. Three 6-pound smooth bores, five 6-pound rifles, found outside the intrenchments.
A twenty-four-pound rifled gun exploded on the fourth round, and near the close of the fight a shell from one of the Union boats entered the eighty-pounder and burst, disabling it. Several caissons were captured in the redan upon the west side of the river, but no guns were in position.
Evidences abounded on all sides of the deadly accuracy of the Federal gunners. Every one of the eleven log buildings within the ramparts was perforated with shot, the roof of one of the small magazines was torn open, hurdle-work scattered in all direction, half the guns knocked out of place, and great gulleys cut in the parapet and the ground. A thirty-two pounder bearing upon the gunboats had been struck by a Union shell, completely shattering the muzzle. The ground beside the embrasure was stained with blood, which lay in pools on the uneven surface. Beside one of the buildings, with gray blankets thrown hastily over them, lay six dead soldiers, all fearfully mutilated. Inside, ten wounded men were stretched upon cots, or on the ground, some insensible, and others rending the air with groans, while the surgeons of the garrison were attending upon them. Just above, on the river, was the hospital ship of the rebels, the stern-wheel steamer R. M. Patten, which had been captured with the fort. The ensign of disease, the yellow flag, was flying from the staff, waving off destruction from sixty invalids.