Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 8.djvu/28

18 Thomas reported his loss at 39 killed, 207 wounded.

The State of Tennessee echoed the words of General Crittenden when he reported the death of General Zollicoffer: "In counsel he has always shown wisdom, and in battle braved dangers, while coolly directing the movements of his troops. He was a statesman and soldier, and all lamented his death, as well as that of his accomplished aide-de-camp, Henry R. M. Fogg, Lieut. Bailie Peyton, of the Twentieth Tennessee, and others whose names were not reported.

Soon following this disaster, on the right of the Confederate line established by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, occurred the loss of the forts which commanded the lower Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.

The engagement at Fort Henry lasted two hours and ten minutes. Brig.-Gen. Lloyd Tilghman was in command of the Confederate forces, consisting of 2,610 officers and men of all arms. Gen. U. S. Grant, commanding an army of 16,000 men, had landed at Bailey's ferry, four miles below Fort Henry, on the 4th of February, 1862, and proceeded with the investment of the fort, awaiting its reduction by Flag-Officer A. H. Foote. The squadron commanded by the latter, composed of the ironclad gunboats Cincinnati, the flagship Essex, the Carondelet, the St. Louis, the Conestoga, the Tyler and the Lexington, armed with 54 heavy guns, steamed up to within 1,700 yards of the fort, and at thirty minutes past noon of the 6th, the fire was opened and responded to by the eleven guns of the fort. The distance between the fort and fleet was reduced to 1,200 yards and soon to 600. The most available gun in the fort in a short time burst and disabled every man at the piece. Soon the vent of the only 10-inch columbiad was closed and rendered useless, leaving nothing for defense except the ordinary 32-pounders.

At this juncture General Tilghman ordered Col. A. Heiman, Tenth Tennessee, the next officer in rank, to