Actual accounts from Military Dispatches, from and about the
5th Tennessee Regiment.
MARCH 2-3, 1862 -- Evacuation of Columbus, Ky.
COLUMBUS, KY., March 2, 1862. The work is done. Column gone. Self and staff move in half an hour. Everything secured.
Newspaper Article Adm. Andrew H. Foote, Yankee hero at the fall of Fort Henry, said he was astonished to learn that the Confederates had pulled out of "their Gibraltar at Columbus without a fight." Rebel Gen. Albert S. Johnston has stated that the fall of Ft. Donelson left his position at Columbus "untenable." Reports reveal that he is forming a new line near Corinth, Mississippi..
COLUMBUS, KY., March 4, 1862.
SIR: Columbus is in our possession. My armed reconnaissance on the 2d instant caused a hasty evacuation, the rebels leaving quite a number of guns and carriages, ammunition, and a large quantity of shot and shell, a considerable number of anchors, and the remnant of chain lately stretched across the river, with a large number of torpedoes. Most of the huts, tents, and quarters destroyed. The works are of very great strength, consisting of formidable tiers of batteries on the water side and on the land side, surrounded by a ditch and abatis. General Sherman, with Lieutenant-Commander Phelps, not knowing that the works were last evening occupied by 400 of the Second Illinois Cavalry as a scouting party, sent by General Sherman from Paducah, made a bold dash to the shore under the water batteries, hoisting the American flag on the summit of the bluff, greeted by the hearty cheers of our brave tars and soldiers. The force consisted of six gunboats, four mortar boats, and three transports, having on board two regiments and two battalions of infantry, under command of Colonel Buford and Lieutenant-Colonel Northrop, Majors Sanger and Andrews. Generals Cullum and Sherman, being in command of the troops--the former leaving a sick bed to go ashore--discovered what was evidently a magazine on fire at both extremities, and immediately ordered the train to be cut, and thus saved the lives of the garrison. While I cannot express too strongly my admiration of the gallantry and wise counsels of the distinguished chief of staff and engineer of General Halleck (General Cullum), I must also add that Commanders Dove, Walke, Stembel, and Lieutenant-Commanders Paulding, Thompson, Shirk, and Phelps--the latter being in command of the mortar division, assisted by Lieutenant Lyford, of the Ordnance Corps of the U.S. Army--nobly performed their duty. I have my flag aboard the Cincinnati, commanded by the gallant Commander Stembel. General Sherman remains temporarily in command at Columbus.
A. H. FOOTE,
Hon. GIDEON WELLES,Flag-Officer. Secretary of the Navy.
COLUMBUS, KY., March 4, 1862.
Columbus, the Gibraltar of the West, is ours, and Kentucky is free; thanks to the brilliant strategy of the campaign, by which the enemy's each other and turned, compelling thus the evacuation of his strongholds of Bowling Green first and now Columbus. At 4 o'clock this morning the flotilla, under Flag-Officer Foote, consisting of six gunboats, commanded by Captains Dove, Walke, Stembel, Paulding, Thompson, and Shirk, and four mortar boats, in charge of Captain Phelps, U.S. Navy, assisted by Lieutenant Lyford, Ordnance Corps, U.S. Army, and three transports conveying Colonel Buford's Twenty-seventh Illinois Regiment and battalions of the Fifty-fourth and Seventy-first Ohio and Fifty-fifth Illinois, commanded by Majors Andrews and Sanger, the whole brigade being under Brigadier-General Sherman, who rendered me most valuable and efficient assistance. On arriving at Columbus it was difficult to say whether the fortifications were occupied by our own cavalry on a scout from Paducah or by the enemy. Every preparation was made for opening fire and landing the infantry, when General Sherman and Captain Phelps, with 30 soldiers, made a dashing reconnaissance with a tug, steaming directly under the water batteries. Satisfied that our troops had possession, they landed, ascended to the summit of the bluff, and together planted the Stars and Stripes amid the heartiest cheers of our brave tars and soldiers. Though rising from a sick bed to go upon the expedition, I could not resist landing to examine the works, which are of immense strength, consisting Of tiers upon tiers of batteries on the river front, and a strong parapet and ditch, covered by a thick abatis, on the land side. The fortifications appear to have been evacuated hastily, considerable quantity of ordnance and ordnance stores, a number of anchors, and the remnant of the chain which was once stretched over the river, and a large supply of torpedoes remaining. Desolation was visible everywhere; huts, tents, barracks presented nothing but their blackened remains. Though the town was spared, I discovered what appeared a large magazine smoking from both extremities, and caused the train to be immediately cut. A garrison was left in the work of nearly 2,000 infantry and 400 cavalry, which I will strengthen immediately. I urged upon Flag-Officer Foote the importance of immediately attacking the batteries of Island No. 10 and New Madrid, but that gallant commodore, after consulting with his brave officers, was of the opinion that two or three days of repairs to the gunboats was indispensable.
G. W. CULLUM,
Major-General HALLECK,Brigadier-General Volunteers, U. S. Army, Chief of Staff. Saint Louis, Mo.
HDQRS. FIRST GRAND DIV. ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Humboldt, Tenn., March 18, 1862. On the day of the evacuation of Columbus I telegraphed General Beauregard it was accomplished, and I avail myself of the first leisure I have had to submit my official report.
The position below offering most advantages for defensive works, and which it was agreed to adopt, was that embracing Island No. 10, the main-land in Madrid Bend, on the Tennessee shore, and New Madrid. At the two latter places works had been thrown up during the last autumn, and measures were already in progress for increasing their strength by the Construction of heavy batteries. On February 25 I issued orders for the removal of the sick as a preparatory step. Orders were also issued by me for the removal of the commissary and quartermaster's stores; then the ordnance stores of every description, and then the heavy guns. These orders were executed promptly and in the most satisfactory manner. To Brigadier-General McCown was assigned the command of the river defenses at the position chosen. His division was ordered thither on the 27th. A sufficient number of guns having been placed in battery to make that position secure, all the rest of the troops, excepting the cavalry, moved on the 1st, General Stewart's brigade going by steamer to New Madrid, the remainder marching by land to Union City under General Cheatham. I remained with my staff and the cavalry to supervise the completion of the work until the following day. The last shipment of articles of special value being made, the quarters and other buildings erected by our troops were consigned to the flames by the cavalry, and at 3 p.m. myself and staff followed our retiring column. The enemy's cavalry, the first of his forces to arrive after the evacuation, reached Columbus in the afternoon next day, twenty-four hours after the last of our troops had left. In five days we removed the accumulation of six months, taking with us all our commissary and quartermaster's stores, an amount sufficient to supply my whole command for eight months; all our powder and other ammunition and ordnance stores, excepting a few shot and gun-carriages, and every heavy gun in the fort. Two 32-pounders, in a remote outwork, were the only valuable guns left, and these, with three or four small and indifferent carronades, similarly situated, were spiked and rendered useless. The whole number of pieces of artillery composing our armament was one hundred and forty. Respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. POLK.
Major-General, Commanding.
Col. THOMAS JORDAN,Assistant Adjutant-General, Jackson, Tenn.
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