l Tilghman had telegraphed for reinforcements, and had about
thirty-four hundred men with him, but only one company of artillerists.
At midnight of the 5th he telegraphed to General A.S. Johnston that
Grant was intrenching at Bailey's Ferry. But, on the morning of the 6th,
Tilghman gave up the idea of using his infantry in the defence, ordered
Colonel Heiman to move the command to Fort Donelson, while he remained
with the company of artillerists to engage the fleet and the land force,
if it should appear, with the heavy armament of the fort, and thus
retard pursuit.

At eleven o'clock in the morning of the 6th, General Grant moved with
his command, and at the same time Commodore Foote steamed up the river
with his fleet in two divisions. The first was of ironclads, the
Cincinnati, flag-ship, the Carondelet, and the St. Louis, each carrying
thirteen guns, and the Essex, carrying nine guns. The second division of
three wooden boats, under command of Lieutenant Phelps, followed half a
mile astern. At a quarter before twelve o'clock the first division
opened fire with their bow-guns at a distance of seventeen hundred
yards, and continued firing while slowly advancing to a distance of six
hundred yards from the fort. Here the four boats took position abreast,
and fired with rapidity. Lieutenant Phelps' division sent shells falling
within the work. The little garrison replied with spirit. Fifty-nine
shots from their guns struck the fleet, but most of them rebounded
without doing harm. One shot exploded the boiler of the Essex, scalding
twenty-eight officers and seamen, including Commander Porter. One seaman
was killed and nine wounded on the flag-ship, and one was killed by a
ball on the Essex. In the fort, the twenty-four pound rifled gun
exploded, disabling every man at the piece; a shell from the fleet,
exploding at the mouth of one of the thirty-two pounders, ruined the
gun, and killed or wounded all the men serving it. A premature
explosion at a forty-two pounder killed three men and wounded others. A
priming-wire accidentally spiked the ten-inch columbiad. Five men were
killed, eleven wounded, and five missing. Four guns were disabled. The
men were discouraged. General Tilghman took personal charge of one of
the guns and worked it, but he could no longer inspirit his men. Colonel
Gilmer, Chief Engineer of the Department, and a few others, not willing
to be included in the surrender, left the fort and proceeded to Fort
D