Tennessee was greeted with enthusiasm by the people. His reputation and conservative principles were a guarantee for the character of his administration, and he soon began to rally to his support the wavering and timid of the people who were still apprehensive that the Confederates would return and restore their rule. Parson Brownlow, after having borne a long and severe confinement in prison, in which his health suffered terribly, was released, and sent beyond the military lines of the Confederates. His reception by the Federal guards was enthusiastic and joyous in the extreme. As soon as his health permitted he visited several cities in the West, where he was greeted with overwhelming demonstrations of popular admiration and respect. On his arrival at New York, May 17th, he was honored with a public reception at the Academy of Music, which was densely filled with a brilliant audience, eager to welcome him. CAPTURE OF FORT HENRY, TENN. The brilliant victory obtained by General Thomas' army over the Confederate forces at Mill Spring, on the 19th of January, laid open the rebel lines to the successful advance of the Federal arms, and served to stimulate the commanders of the land and naval forces to avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded. Previous to the battle of Mill Spring, General Grant, with a large force, had left Cairo and marched toward Columbus, for the purpose of reconnoitering the country, and to prevent rebel reinforcements moving from that point to the assistance of General Buckner, at Bowling Green, Ky., who was then threatened by the approach of General Buell's army. Upon the return of General Grant's division to Cairo, a combined movement of the land and naval forces was determined on for the purpose of capturing Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river, in Henry county, Tenn., just beyond the Kentucky State line. Fort Henry and its approaches were reconnoitered on the 21st January by the United States gunboat Lexington, with a view to ascertain its strength and the position of the rebels. She went within two miles of the fort, and flung a number of shells into it without eliciting any reply. At first it was thought the rebels had evacuated the work, but on approaching it still nearer pickets were discovered at various points. The heavy guns on the work were seen distinctly; also a number of fieldpieces. In addition to the fort proper, numerous earthworks had been thrown up on a high bluff above the fort, on the west bank of the river. This additional work, named Fort Hieman, commanded Fort Henry. On the 22d January, Brigadier-General C. F. Smith, commanding the second division of General Grant's army, was at Crown Point, Ky., where he had arrived with 6,000 men after a fatiguing march of over 100 miles from Paducah. He proceeded thence on a personal reconnoissance, on the gunboat Lexington, in the direction of Fort Henry. The gunboat advanced up the west channel of the river to a point within one mile and a half from the fort. General Smith obtained an excellent view of the rebel fort, camp and garrison, and sent his report to headquarters. He then marched his division back to Paducah. The flotilla of gunboats, which had been so long in course of preparation on the Ohio and Mississippi, was now ready to take part in the impending battles of the nation, and to assume that prominence in the momentous events which were to follow to which they have proved themselves justly entitled. Flag-officer Andrew H. Foote was appointed by the Government to command the naval forces on the Upper Mississippi and the Western waters, and now led forth his gallant fleet to attack the enemy, in conjunction with the land forces under General Ulysses S. Grant. The fleet consisted of Fleet Officers.-Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote; Fleet Captain, Commodore A. M. Pennock; Ordnance Officer, Lieutenant J. F. Sanford; Ordnance Lieutenant, Byron Wilson; Flag Lieutenant, James M. Prickett. Essex, 9 guns, Commander William D. Porter. St. Louis, 13 guns, Lieutenant-Commanding Leonard Paulding. Cincinnati, 13 guns, Commander R. N. Stembel. Carondelet, 13 guns, Commander Henry Walke. Conestoga, 9 guns, Lieutenant-Commanding Phelps. Tyler, 9 guns, Lieutenant-Commanding W. Gwin. For several days, at Paducah, the utmost vigilance was exercised at the headquarters of the Provost Marshal, in issuing passes, and on Sunday and Monday, the 3d February, no persons were allowed in or out of the lines. Half a dozen gunboats steamed leisurely into port and brought their black forms to anchor opposite the levee, in the centre of the river. Monday afternoon, steamers commenced coming up from Cairo, laden with troops and stores, and by night the whole landing in front of the town was crowded with the arrivals. The fleet which came up brought General Grant and Staff, and the first division, under command of Brigadier-General McClernand. The steamers were under command of Commodore G. W. Graham, and consisted of the following boats: City of Memphis, Iatan, D. A. January, Chancellor, Alp, "W. H. B," New Uncle Sam, Rob Roy, Alex. Scott, Minnehaha, Illinois, Emerald, and Fanny Bullett. The first division, on these boats, was made up of two brigades, composed as follows, and commanded by General John A. McClernand: First Brigade, Colonel Oglesby, Commanding.-Seventh Illinois, Colonel Cook: Eighth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Rhoades; Eighteenth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Lawler; Twenty-ninth Illinois, Colonel Reardon; Thirtieth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Dennis; Thirty-first Illinois, Colonel John A. Logan; Swartz's and Dresser's Batteries; Stewart's, Dollins', O. Harnett's and Carmichael's Cavalry. Second Brigade, W. H. L. Wallace, Commanding.-Eleventh Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Hart; Twentieth Illinois, Colonel Marsh; Fortyfifth Illinois, Colonel Smith; Forty-eighth Illinois, Colonel Harney; Taylor's and McAllister's Batteries-in the latter four siege guns; Fourth Illinois Cavalry, Colonel Kellogg; Seventh Illinois Cavalry, Colonel Dickey. Soon after arriving, General Grant and staff paid a visit to General Smith, and had a conference, in which it was determined to forward the division of General McClernand that night, and after landing them at some point below Fort Henry, out of range of its guns, send the boats back after General Smith's division at Paducah. It was nearly midnight before the boats took their departure. The point at which the troops were landed is about four or five miles below Fort Henry, opposite a small town in Kentucky, called Buffalo. Immediately at the place is a clearing of about one hundred acres, surrounded on three sides by high bluffs densely timbered, and reaching down to the river. The troops, on landing, immediately took possession of these eminences, and planted batteries which commanded the country in every direction, and then awaited the arrival of the remaining forces, under General Smith. Tuesday afternoon, while the troops were disembarking, the Osband Cavalry, with Carson's and Carpenter's scouts thoroughly examined the country in every direction, even up to within two miles of Fort Henry. Tuesday night was beautiful; a thousand camp-fires flashed through the shadows that lay upon the amphitheatre of wooded hills. The sky was warm and serenely purple, as if brooding over the first sweet blossoms of May. The silver crescent of a new moon glittered in the western sky, shedding a faint radiance over the tree-tops and sloping hill sides. All at once the music of half a dozen bands broke through the stillness of this lovely scene, and the "Star-Spangled Banner," "Red, White and Blue," and "Columbia the Gem of the Ocean," filled the night with bursts of patriotic music. Then some dreamy strain followed, hushing the soldier's heart with thoughts of "Home, Sweet Home." On Wednesday, parties were out reconnoitering near the enemy's works, and in one case a squad of cavalry went within a mile of the fort and encountered two hundred rebel horsemen. Both sides fired, when the rebels ran, leaving one of their number dead, and carrying off three severely wounded. One man on the Union side was shot through the brain, and killed instantly. He was the first man who gave up his life in the vicinity of Fort Henry. It had been noticed that a steamer belonging to the rebels was busily engaged in running from the fortifications to some point up or across the river, which was doubtless bringing in reinforcements. Two of the gunboats-the Taylor and Conestoga, ran up to nearly the centre of the island, and dropped a few shells in the direction of the fort and the steamer, with what result was not known. They effected a thorough reconnoissance on both sides, and discovered two ugly torpedoes sunk in the west channel, which they carefully hauled out and towed down to the shore below. During the day and night the division of General Smith, from Paducah, arrived, and was landed on the west shore of the river, with a view of operating against batteries supposed to be on that side, and also to counteract a large body of troops, which scouts reported to be concentrating opposite the fort. Wednesday night was cold and most disagreeable. About eight o'clock a heavy storm set in, which speedily quenched the camp-fires, and sent the troops wet and disconsolate under any shelter that could be found. All over the southern horizon, in the direction of Fort Henry, a tremendous thunder-storm swept its way, filling the hills with flashes of fiery blue lightning, and shaking the forests with loud reverberations of thunder. Hailing this burst of heaven's artillery, rolling southward toward the enemy, as a good omen, the Union soldiers pulled the wet blankets closer around them, turned drearily in the yielding mud, and fell asleep. Thursday dawned cloudily, but towards nine o'clock it cleared up and the sun came out warm and gloriously. Nature nowhere seemed to anticipate the bloody event which gives the day prominence. A few more troops arrived, among whom were the Ohio Seventh, Colonel Lauman, and the Ohio Twelfth, Colonel Wood, both from Smithland, and which, together with the Seventh Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel Bancock; Thirteenth Missouri, Colonel Wright; the Fifteenth Illinois, Colonel , and Company D, First Missouri Artillery, made the Third Brigade, Colonel John Cook commanding, assigned the right wing of the advance up the Tennessee shore. About ten o'clock the gunboats started slowly up the river, four iron clad steamers leading abreast-the Essex, Captain Porter, on the right, and the Cincinnati, Commodore Foote, on the left. The three wooden gunboats ranged themselves abreast and followed, half a mile or so to the rear. The iron-clad boats moved up abreast, keeping up the west or high |