Jeff Davis Ordered the Battle

IT WAS FOUR DAYS BEHIND TIME

STRENGTH OF THE ARMIES

Incidents of Gallantry and Cowardice

BOGUS GOV. JOHNSON KILLED.

Special Dispatch to Chicago Tribune.

Cairo, April 14—m., 1862

Auditor Dubois and Gen. John Cook, of Springfield, left Pittsburg on Saturday, by mail packet Van Patten, and arrived here this morning. Gen. Cook is unwell and going home to recruit his health. From them and from others we learn additional particulars.

Gen. Hulburt lost, out of 7,000 men, in killed, wounded and missing, 1,983. He had a splendid army, choice troops, who fought like Turks. Lieut. Col. Tupper of Decatur was killed.

Colonel John A. Davis of Freeport is not dead, but is at Paducah, and feels sure he will recover.

Col. Bane, of the 50th Illinois, is dangerously wounded. Lieut. Colonel Phillips is also dangerously, and Col. Morley slightly.

“When the Illinois 11th were mustered on Monday morning they could bring but 45 men into the field. The 9th Illinois (Paine’s old regiment) mustered only 200 effective men. Col. Fry’s regiment were the only Illinois boys that acted badly. They had never been in action before.

Chicago, April 1—A special dispatch to the Journal from Cairo says that Col. Buford yesterday, accompanied by the 27th and 47th Illinois Regiments, and part of the 15th Wisconsin Regiment, from the force near Island No. 10, with a detachment of cavalry and artillery from Hickman, under Col. Hedge, made a descent upon Union City, Tenn, after a forced march of 30 miles, and fell on the rebel encampment there at 7 o’clock In the morning, dispersing the entire force stationed there under Clay King, both cavalry and infantry.

Chicago, Feb. 19. —The Tribune correspondent, in giving a description of the battle at Fort Donelson, says, that when Col. Crafts’ brigade, which had been ordered to reinforce Gen. McClernand, came up in the rear of the thirtieth, thirty first, and twenty-fifth Kentucky, these regiments were lying down and firing over the crest of a hill. They rose, and not knowing whether the force in their rear was friend or foe, the twenty-fifth Kentucky, supposing them to be rebels, poured in a raking volley on them, which did terrible execution, and was sufficient to throw the entire brigade into disorder at once, which was almost a panic. Some threw down their guns and equipments, and fled immediately. The woods were filled with stragglers. Some even fled to fort Henry.

The telegraph reports the surrender of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee river, after a short engagement with the gunboats and before the land force had arrived at the scene of action. It is also stated that our forces had advanced fifteen miles beyond Fort Henry and had taken possession of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad bridge. This is an important victory, if we have force enough to take advantage of it. In this event it will be attended with the most important and decisive results. The St. Louis Republican thus detailed the importance of General Grant’s expedition a few days ago:

If the communication between Bowling Green and Columbia can be cut off, the Union forces still have it in their power to achieve such a victory as will make the Confederates tremble from Nashville to Pensacola.