The Oregon scout., May 21, 1887, Image 2

FORT DONELSON.
Twenty-fifth Anniversary -of tho
I Great icgo,
THE STORY TOLD ONOE MORE
TsTlien, Wlicro mid Hoir tho Famous
IJnltlo Wns Fought.
Dion Hlio Arirriviinl Hrnimo l)ltln
RiiUlicd That Toole I'nrt III It I'olltl-
. ciil tAMtlnrn, KonutorM, Governor mill
PrxMlileiiM Tluit Wero to IJo "liltlior
" Hlilo i:"iulr t" O'vo Hp" From Henry
' to DomtUnn Tlio Kortlo That Fulled,
i
, llluo and Cray.
Onco again tho young pcuplo gnthcr around
mid listen while veteran Hjn toll tho story of
iFort Donelson. That story wns mado twenty
flvo yours ago this February.
Tho writers Mid raconteurs havo preserved
f,ho lii.-toi-' more fnithfully than tho innp
makers havo. Neither Fort Ilonry nor Tort
Donelson Ls mnrked upon tho newest ntlnscs.
ffattiro Itorself has not obliterated their traces
J Hpecilily. J no trees yet, suinu as scurrou
voterunsof tho mighty light. Uullct mark,
Htutnn Hint broken limb aro yet to bo seen
when in winter they aro unclad of kindly
loaf und vine.
THE PREPARATION.
Turn to your map. Yon will see that tho
TennoKseouiid Cumberland rivers run through
tho state of Iventueky sido and hide, llko twin
Bisters. Tliey empty into tho Ohio not far
tqiarf.. They comb near together first insido
Uio Tennesseo lino, and How through that
Btato close beside eaeii other. J ho 1 ennes
hoo forms part of tho boundary lietwecn tho
t.wo states for some distance. On tho Ten
tiossca side, just optosite whero tho corner of
Iventueky ltogliis, was Fort Henry. Twelvo
mile across from it, slightly north of east,
was Fort Donelson, on (ho Cumberland.
Henry was on the right bank of the Tonnes
nee., whlht Donelson was on tho left bank of
Uio Cunil)erlund.
' IIKNUV AND DONELSON.
Henry Mid Donelson were important Con
federate stations. Henry was captured Feb.
(J,- IBrt'J. A rising young brigadier general,
named ttkixses S, llnint, was at. tho head ol
Mm force that look il. Tho victory called for
Alio first tiiuo (lie ntt cut ion of tho country to
Uil.solll'vr. 'J'ho victory at Fort Henry, too,
wan, t4nclly speaking, tho beginning of tho
turning of tho tide in favor of the north. A
gliwini liko the fog of n winker's day had been
on Uio country till then. Men in the north
wore. sighing for a hero a man who should
'lio strong enough to take tho head of affairs
Mind turn heart, sickening failure Into victory
Tho hero was developing, though they
llcnow it not. Ho who was to lift tho cloud
wus (ho silenl man that, even in tho midst of
tho victory of Fort Donelson, was "too busy
to wrlto a word."
A notable oint is tho shortness of Grant's
dispatches at all times. A few messages, of
not many lines, (o his su' erior ollleer tell tho
Ktory iof both Henry and Donelson. (Jen.
I hillock, then lit St. Louis, was in command
of (ho department of thu Missouri. Grant
dispatched Halleek, Feb. II, that Fort Henry
had fallen. Ho added these words:
"I shall take and destroy Fort Donelson on
tho Bth mid return to Fort Henry."
Hut ho had undertaken a larger contract
ihnii oven ho could 1111 In the time bo pro
KMut. Tho fieshets and overllows, which id
tvayu work such mischief in tho south and
west, pieventcii, for one thing, Tho roads
leading to Dn.u Sou were a son of mud. By
Iho liackwaler of civeks on each side of the
fort (hem was a son of water two miles in
land fntm the loi I,
Tho Cumberland runs north nt tho point
kcIocUmI for Fort Donelson. About a mile
south of the but, up Hut river, is tho little
town of Dover, This hiimlet was tho head
tjuurtersof tho Confederal!) gi'iieral, Gideon
.?, I'illow, iluring tho siege. It was in. Dover
thiiltlio lust Confederate council of war I to
t.wcon Hens. Floyil, I'illow, Huckuer, Col. N,
II, Forrest and others took place, previous to
the surrender of the fort to Grant. Rolow
Fort Donelson, on the north, Hickman's
fivok cmpliid into tho Cumberland. It was
overflowed for miles, the water up to a
tiorsiVs breast. Grant could not attack the
I'orl from that side. On tho other hand,
turnover, in case the Confederates, iK'ing hard
intvscl, wished to mill. o a sally out from the
fort and escape by the Foil Henry road, us,
in fact, they did wish to do, this overllowml
crook would prownt tliein. So, on the whole,
the backwater of Hickman's crook was an nil
vantage to both liesiegor and ltesiegod, Above
Iflnrt Donelson, and between (hat and Dover,
was nuother stream of water, Indian creek,
dsi) overflowed.
Mint I There wns never anything llko it.
I I was "half leg deep," as specially mentioned
In Coufitlcruto ollleial tlUputoh(s. Grunt's sol
diers fairly wailed in mud "up to their eyes"
when (hoy niiiiflim I from Fort Henry to U
kioRO Dover and DoueUou. It How from the
liorsuH' hoot's liliu ruin and Hptoivil man and
Is'iist, when tho cavalry sploshed hitlier and
thither, in tho vain fancy that (hoy were
uilting. It rolled from tho gun carriage
wheels and fell in huge iiiumus at every turn
thr, artillery inodu.
It must Imi remembered tlint it was Grant,
brigadier general, who had urged the reduc
tion of Fort Henry ami Donel.-on. Tho ob
ject to I hi gained by it was tho clearing of the
Cuiiiltorlond and TouuotKco rivers, anil tho
nucupulion of Touuosnco and it hues of mil
way. Grant was at Cairo and ii'teoteilly
urged Hullock to lit him vUit St. I.ouis.
Iavo was at length given. Grant vlitH
bis biiHirior uuil Ugiin to unfold his plan for
tho capture of tho two forUi. Hut llalleck
Hllanciil lilm at onco ami snubUsl him
hliarply.
Judgo Force, In his lxik, Miyn that Grant
"return! to Cuiro IkiIIuvIiij; his eouummihir
thought him guilty of proposing a niillUiry
t)lutiiktr.M Ami yet ho KiUtel, (miHirlun
lug again and nijiiln. Flag OllW-er Auilrow
11. Kiwte, of Iho MbMlwippi vpnulron, urjieti
tho wi mo, unit lxiK!sl Hallwk's eruiMitou to
lot bin i nnd Grant move on Huury and Don
olson. ItwiM at lengtli given, nnd Fek '2
IfooUi uml Grant, Infantry and wivnlry foiMt.
Iiult0, HtfliUnl up the Tumimmhi to Fort
Ilttnry, with 17.000 mmi niul mui gun
Fort Henry ThII on th Oth. Tlw bumlny
Hlittr Coinnninder I'noto took hU place in the
pulpit of tho l'nbyterian chtiivh nt Cnlra
ujuI pinochixl au elotjuout Miruion on tho tuxti
"Let not your hearts to troublcJ, Yo believe
In God. liellevo also in inc."
Then ho enmo down from tlio pulpit nnd
mado ready his boats for tho exietlltiou
ngnlnst Donelson, which surrendered Feb. Iff,
jiLSt ono week from tbnt sunilay morning.
Engineers of tho Confcdernto ftcrvlco ngreo
that tho site of Fort Donelson wna nnniy
chosen. It stood upon a river blttir. Tho
situation was clevntcil, to lw sure, but thcro
was a ring of hills around It, nt from onu to
Ilvo miles distaneo. Theso hills wcro higher
thun tho bluir upon which tho fort was, nnd
convenient for tho enemy to plant guns
ujion.
THE DEFENSES OF FORT DONELSON
Tho bluff upon which Dondson stood was
100 feet high. Tho fort ltfioir wns wnni. was
called in military language a bastioneil earth
work, with nnglcs liko stnr points projecting
from tho main inclosuro outward, and pro
tected by walls of heavy earthworks. It was
en iHtiintnl hnt. Its mins eoininnndcd'tho river
as far as they could carry. Two water bat-
terles vero crectisl on tno siopo oi mo oiuu
towanl tho river. Tho lurger battery wns
tho ono nearest tho shore. It had for arma
ment a 10-Inch Colurnblad and nino IB-pound
guns. Tho upper battery was supplied with
two ns-poundcrs mid ono rifled cannon which
carried a conical ball of 128 pounds. Tho
water batteries wero built by Lieut. Col. J.
F. Gilmer, chief engineer of tho western de
partment of tho Confislernte nrmy. They
wcro constructed after the fall of Fort Henry.
Ah soon as that point was captured tho whole
available Confederate forco in that rogiou
wns concentrated at Donelson.
Tho lino of batteries wns extended so as to
tako In Dover, whero stores of food anil am
munition were. In nnd out, through salient
anil io-entrant angle, for two miles and a
half, tho tracery of earthworks and guns
went.
Hesldes that, tho forti'leations wcro pro
tected with bristling abatis. It wasa wooded
region, full of "black jnc'i" oak mid other
wixxls. Tho scrub onka wcro felled, their
branches shnrjiencd at tho point anil theso
and tho trees wero fastened upon tho ground,
sharpened points outward, in what seemed
an impenetrable nbatls. To get Ht Fort Don
elson the Union troops wero obliged to go up
hill over theso shnrjenod points in tho fuco of
marksmen whose aim was yet shnrper.
On tho east, tho river protected tho work.
Such wero tho defenses of Donolsou.
Lieut. Col. Gilmer says Hint tho effective
fighting forco within tho Tort wns 15,000.
Up to tho timo tho siego legnn it was com
mandeil by Gen. ltushrod It. Johnson. He
was re-enforced successively by Gens. Pillow,
Clarke, Floyd and liuckner, with sovcrnl
thousand men each. Gen. J. 11. Floyil wns
tho ollleer highest in rank anil had command.
FOOTE'S FLOTILLA.
Tho Union gunboats had done great service
at Henry. At Donelson tho licet did not ills
tlngulsh Itself greatly, except by convoying
transports containing troops.
While Grant, with 15,000 men, plowed
across tho mud sea Imtween Henry nnd Donel
son by hind, he sent Footo with six gunboats
around by water. They wero obliged to go
down tho TenncKMSMind up tho Ohio a short
dictnneo to tho mouth of tho Cumberland to
Fort DoneNon. Footo had to make a circuit
of 150 miles to go twelve.
TIIK CAHONPKT.ET.
Tlio Cnrondclet is a good illustration of the
old-fashioned gunboat. It was tho first to
nrrlvoontho morning of Thursday, Feb. 13.
k ojen"d.re. H may Ik) mentioned that the
old Caroudelet, with tho samo commander,
Cnpt, U'alke, was also tho first to afterward
pass down the river under the batteries at
Vicksburg.
Tho rest of Footo's fleet with tho trans
ports, containing six regiments of soldiers,
nrrived Thursday evening. Friday morning
tho Presbyterian flag ollleer lUHMied lire from
his fleet of six gunboats, four ironclads and
(wo wooden ones. Thcro was a severe light
of nn hour and n half, which did not result in
a brilliant success for the licet. The boats
engaged wcro the ironclads St. J wis, Caron
delet, Iiuisvillo nnd Pittsburg, nnd the
wooden boats Tyler nnd Conestogn. Four of
tho boats were disabled. The first flro from
tho Cnrondclet had disabled oiw of the
ii-pounders in tho water batteries. The
wmio shot instantly killed Lieut, Joseph
Dixon, a brnve Confeilerato officer and the
accomplished local engineer who had assisted
in preparing the defenses of Donelson. That
was about the only iliunago apparently done
hv tho fleet. Then Commander Footo drew
HT tho remains of tt and droped down out
of range.
A MOUTAU JIOAT.
Tho mortar l;t got it namo fi-om tho gun
It carried. First n heavy wooden flout was
built. UiKn it woiv eitvbsl very thick
wooden walls. Theo nlopod inwnnl and weiv
alsmt olght fis't high. They wero plated with
heavy iron. Insido wns n single heavy mor
tar, with Mnmnnition 1k1ow tho wafer Una
There was ulso a tout for tho gunners within
tho wall.
These mortar Uvts wero connideriHl for
midable twenty-live ywun ngo. Hut sueh is
tlvo linpi-ovenu-nt made kinoe then in dtrue
tlvo warfare that ono hhot fiiim oven a inixl
ralw kiMl gun of tho kind now muile would
knock an old fnshiuuod mortar Is sit tutu
Hinders.
Ono youthful Conftfcltirot uuiiner uU
tliiKuUiod' himself gnllMiUy Ht tlio tower
water IxUtory at Fort Dolwlton. While
FiHite's gmiboittR weiv pepiriux ttw batter
hw tothw right mmI Mt, thin youth, John G.
lspia, tKMl orfift-tly tnitghtt htsgvu,
taking aim and firing tw okJI' a If ho had
Uhjii Mpiirivl UllllUllg.
"Now, lioyn," mixi Iw, utm iu take a chim
wy." Hi Hiiifsl ut tttMsniUetack of an iidrune
'llig miuUwt, ft M', ai-iMug with it (he
lUtg. rriua tluvw hi tup m tuo uu, yelling
dmluutly.
Jul rlj U0
P :
Again the nervy boy took aim, clear and
straight. Shortly ho sent a ball directly
through a jxirtholo. nnd then tho gunltoatfeil
back disabled. Tho portholes of tho boats
were quite large,
FOUR DAYS' FIGHTING.
To tell tho truth, army 'officers do not
always write tho clearest English, not even,
nlns! regular army officers.
It Is ililllcult, thorcfore, for tho historian to
gnther fioni tho colonels' and brigadier gener
als' reiorts, just how a bnttlo was fought nnd
how and whero tho troopsstood. Grant's re
ports and orders, what there nru of them, are
models of clearness, brevity nnd simplicity.
From them no gain more cleai -headed knovil
edgo than from most of tho rest.
Immediately on tho fall of Fort Henry,
Gen. Halleek iK-gan f or wuriling fresh troops
and supplies ns fast ns jossiWo for tho reduc
tion of Donelson. Hoys, on whoso cheeks tho
roso had not yet given place to tan, regiments,
ns Judge Forco says, "so freshly formed that
they had haTdly changed their civil garb for
soldier's uniform," wero hurried to tho front
to help out Grant at Donelson.
NATIONAL
PLAN OK SIEGE.
Feb. 11, 1802, tlio general order was given
Grant's men to inarch from Henry to Donel
on. There wero two roads; one, tin Wynn's
Ferry road, leading to Dover south of Fort
Donelson, tho other north of it some (lis
tnnce. Tho two enmo together not far from
tho fort, tho northern road lending directly
to tho fort.
Along theso two roads tho men marched,
starting tho morning of Feb. l'J. Tho First
nnd Second divisions moved forward. The
First division was commanded by Gen. John
A. McClernnnd, tho Second by Gen. C. F.
Smith. They moved forwnrd, McClernnnd's
division by tho right hand or southerly road,
Smith's by tiie northerly or left hand road.
They came together two and one-half miles
from Donelson. McClornand's forces took
the right wing south of Donelson, Smith's the
Jolt wing north of Donelson. Later word
was sent to (Son. Lmv Wallace, who had re
mained nt Fort Henry, to bring up the Third
division. Ho arrived on tlio 1-ttli (Friday)
and took position witli his division in the
center.
Thus t lie Federal forces invested Donelson
in form of a crescent. A dingrmn of their
position would show them as follows:
Smith's division.
Wullaee's division. Donelson.
McClernnnd's division.
There was some skirmishing on tho evening
of tho I2th between the pickets of the two
nnnies. On tho l!!th tho battle tiogan in
earnest. Col. AVm. H. Morrison, of the
Forty-ninth regiment of Illinois Volunteers,
hud charge of a brigade that day in McCler
nnnd's division. His brigade had some of the
toughest work of tho whole Donelson fight.
Their work was to assault Manoy's battery,
on tho Confederate left, nt onco the most con
spicuous nnd inaccessible of tho entire lino of
works. Tliey started to climb up hill over
(he tangled and terriblo "black jack" abatis.
A double flro of battery nnd infantry inked
them fore nnd nft. Onco they fell back, and
were re-enforced. Four regiments started up
the hill u trfvonil time. They wero met with
a hotter flro than liefore. Shrapnel and rille
balls How into their teeth thick as linil. Thry
(lUANT'S ItKAIKJl'AItTKllS.
forced their way farther up tho abntis, then
wavered and fell back onco more.
A curious fact added to the complications
of tho light at Donelson. Tho Confederate
forces were largely uniformed in bi-own jeans.
Tlio dcail loaves of the scrub oak were utmost
the exact color of (his cloth. The Federal
forces, therefore, inclimhutgtho nbatis, could
not tell what was Ioum-s and what wns Con
fedemto soldiers till a lino of Aid in their fncc.
told them the difference.
'Iho third time Morrison's brigade stormed
the heights. Tills time they climbed quite to
the rillo pits. Tlio line in front cf them was
one shoot of fire, awful and deadly. Just
then a musket ball struck Col. Morrison in the
hip. Tho fut:u ITu-tois tKilitical loader reeled
in bis siiddlo Mia llu H relltotho ground. That
ended the iltsonito assault, and Manoy's bat
tery renuiined untaken.
Another of the curious incidents of war,
nnd a sad one, hapiiened here. The llnsho
.'roin tho guns Mt lliv to the thickly cluster
ing dead leave. They flamed up liko dry
straw, consuming the disid, dying mul
wounded soldiers who lay nlmt in some spots
as thickly us the leave themselves. A con
sidoruhki iuiuiIkt of the helpless oner, were
burned (o death. Col. Hoiiiiau, who had dis
tinguished himself ut Fort Henry, was in
oomuiMiid of (he Confederates nt JIhuovV lot
tery . IliK uiou JiaiHsl oxer in front of their
works, nftor thoHswtult, and saved Midi i
tliey ecu hi.
So tho night of Thuinday, tbt lttth, came
and wore away. I'ptotlio arrival of Lew
Wnlliuv, on Fridtt.x , tlio Fisierul forces en
gaged nuinls'ixsl only l .'i.ooo men. Tho enemy
did not know it, t-iit thoy Hctv without sup
pliwi. Tho nwiU uert too Iwnvy to triuupoi t
food and muuitkiu, mix! ihme m lieen sent
miouimI by wator. Ttk liwrniug of the 1 Ith
tlH Union feoldhtrs wero nloJutely without
food.
During tit night a storm of snow and sket
cmiio imi. It wiu teit ible. Tint mttu luul not
dared to kp during Hm night. They'eould
not Uukt Uivk, fur tltev woubt Uuva Uvu
metvly mi uuuiy twrgtu for utiuiketry mkI oi -UlltH'y
frwm the fort There W4Mi iwJielter
teiiU for tiiem. iMwn found Hmnii numti uml
tuir wiili tho sld, tlx ir i lotting wt Ibrougji
to Uio Dfcui Wkl ii"-n on their Iwcks. Col
Cntfts J. Wrigli, ihuixvnth Miwmiri, fat
- -,
"" '"if
:--'V' My Wsm
':::-'-'' uf
, rsp'- I T i Mil
't-KATI0ML S C.
t wiiTm una I
upon a log wrapped In his blanket till 3 o'clock
in the morning.
So the Federal soldiers stood tho night
tlirough. At dawn tho light ljcgan to slime
upon a bitterly cold day. Fires wero built
toward tho rear then, nnd companies, in turn
relieving ono nnother, went back and thawed
their frozen garments nnd mado coffee.
Hut they had no food, not a bite. Tliein
only breakfast was coffee, and thus they mado
ready to face tlio day.
For tho Confederates in tho fort it was not
n whit more comfortable. They lay upon
their arms nil night In tho trenches. And
yet nobody on either sido was disheartened.
Tho Confederate soldiers wero full of fight
and enthusiasm. At noon tho Federal Gen.
Low Wallace and his Third division of min
gled veterans and raw recruits arrived into
camp in tho center with cheers Mid songs
nnd bugles sounding. Gen. Wnllneo rodo
immediately to Grant's headquarters nnd
dinod with him on crackerj and coffee. Tho
general was nearly as badly off as his men.
It wns this day that the interchange of
courtesies between tho fleet and tho fort took
place.
Meantime thcro was not much fighting on
land. Ro-cnforcement8 wore arriving for
Grunt, and wero being posted.
Grant's troops were distributed over a lino
nearly four miles long. His own head
quurters wcro at the log house of Mrs. CrLp,
two miles from Dover, ut tho head of Hick
man creek. It was a llttlo to tho loft of tho
center of his nrmy, nnd botween tho divisions
of Low Wallnco and Gen. C. F. Smith.
So having arranged matters to suit him,
Grunt sat down in tlio midst of his blue cres
cent of soldiers to starve out Fort Donelson.
On their part, tho Confederate gonerals in
sido tho fort wero quite awaroof their peril.
Tl.o night of tlio 14th Gens. Floyd, Pillow
and Duekner held n council and resolved to
cut their wny out of tho fort through tho
Federal limw next morning. Ton thousand
trooiw wero set upart for this grand sortie.
Tho Confederates too hud been ro-oiiforcod.
Brig. Gen. Floyd was tho last to arrive, on
tho morning of tho 15th, with -1,000 men.
THE GRAND SORTIE.
In tho Confederate council tho night of tho
Hth it was determined that tho forco in tho
fort should attempt to cut its way out on the
Federal right,through McClernnnd's division.
Driving this division back, it was to be made
to roll over ujKtn Wallace's division in tho
center, thus leaving tho Wynn's Ferry road
rlenr. Hy that road tko Confederates wore
to escape to Charlotte, Tenn. Pillow, with
infantry nnd cnvalry, was to mako tho attack
on tho Federal extreme right, near tho river.
Duekner was to follow immediately after,
and do lor Lew Wullaee's division in the
center.
That was tho plan.
rsn.v. nucKNKH, c. s. a.
Pillow snid ho expected to "roll the enemy
(McClernnnd's division) in full retreat over
upon Gen. Huckuer, when, by attack in
flank and rear, tliey could cut up thu enemy
and put him completely to rout."
Pillow's attack was sudden nnd furious.
Reveille was just sounding in MeCIernaud's
cam), nnd thu troops wero not under urms
when tho onset was made. There was con
fusion, there was danger that tho wlj,ok right
wing of the Federal army would bo routed.
In a fow minutes though, in scarcely more
time than it takes to w-rto it, McCIorunnd's
men, gun in hand, had their faces toward the
foo.
The ncoount of tho fierce ousel and shock,
and its its-option by the Federal soldiers,
rend like some of Ciesnr's battles with the
Gauls. Gen. Oglesby, of Illinois, who com
manded a brigade on tho right, received the
first tremendous uttnek. IIU men returned
flro till their ammunition gave out. They
snatched up the cartridge boxes from tho dead
and dying and toured their contents into the
foo till tlint too gave out. Then Col. W. H.
L. Wallace's brigade went to tho ivscuo.
That at length quailed lsjforo tho "trebly
thundering" attack. A lamented statesman,
w ho has lately passed to tho realm of tho un--von,
distinguished himself gallantly here.
He wns then colonel of tho Thirty-first Illi
nois uml his name was John A. Ixtgan. He
was here end there and overywhere in that
battle, showering electric words upon his
men, his dark face lit with excitement, his
eye shining liko un eagle's. Hy tho magnet
ism of his personal influence ho prevented a
panic nnd a rout early in tho day.
McCIorunnd's dhisiou, nith Taylor's,
Dresser's nnd McAllister's batteries of light
artillery, met the Confederate onset bravely
and well. To tho right of Oglesby still was
(Son. McArthur, nearest the river, llu had
Ih-oii ordered there tho night Itoforo, with
troops who had had no food all day. They
piused tho night in the snow and sleet, with
out llres or shelter. Gen. McArthur had had
no time to In-come acquainted with thu nature
of the ground. lie only knew that he faced
Fort Donelson. The Confederate design was
to make a dash and get cavalry in his ivnr,
and then w ith cnvalry to rear of him, infantry
tiefoiv, ho would Ite towerltss.
Soldiers do not always find it easy to fight
on u full stomach, but McArthur's men had
fasted thirty-six hours. In this state of hun
ger they were when they heard nt ft o'clock in
tho morning tho tiring on Oglesby on their
left. As soon as it was heard, without wait
ing for orders, McArthur foi mod his empty
stomached men in line of battle. They took
a lively hand in the light. Hut presently n
worse trouble than empty stomachs con
fronted them, mid (hat w as empty cartridge
Itoxes. Hefore that obstacle they wore indeed
IMiwerloM, and so tho brigade fell Imck some
hundreds of yards to the rear and took up a
Hew itohitiou. It is sutlicient to say of them
that toward night tht-y got ono square muni,
itud then movtsl over to the leftof tint Federal
forces to supH)rt tint troop lighting tlittra.
Th morning piigresel. It itognn to look
indeed as if Pillow wfw going to curry out hU
threat to "roll the enemy over." McArthur'
brigade lmd crumbled nwuy. So hail
Oglufcby's. McCU rimnd'ti division wns in the
gravest danger. In tlw ceut4r, Low Wallace,
with tint Third divwion, vu lying liuu'tive.
His order wt ro to net mi tho iWeusiva and
watch ll Coiiftslemtes to prevent their es
caping hi way.
lilJoVdivt4oii, imUqiloyiug, sjtmid wider
and wider, ami more and more townixl Iztw
WallacD. itcCi nmndV division Itegan to
waver. Thiw r if.xeii4itjt4eltt,MiMioyNj,
PwtjM'V at4 (.i i, piurduitaMly flro into
it, UueLi i w is udvuucltig, too, with bin
. -Arm
mm. with Forrest's cavnlrj flitting about the
outskirts.
Tho threo Federal Itatteries had exhausted
their ammunition. Taylor's ulone had fired
that morning 1,700 rounds. Huckuer hud or
dered an ndvanco of three regiments before
noon. 'They bad been met with a blinding
flr6 from Col. W. II. L. Wallace's brigade.
Snow Hying in tho nir confused them so that
they could not see their wny Itesides, and
they fell back to their entrenchments in dis
order. Hut presently Huckner gathered his forces
nnd camo gallantly on again.
McClernnnd sent word to Low Wnllaco to
aid him. In tho absence of Ktsitivo orders
from headquarters Wallace declined to move.
Tlio place grew hotter and hotter. Col.
Jclm A. Ixtgan was wounded. McClernnnd
again sent wont to Wallace, and this time
Wallace onlerod forward Col. Craft's
brigade, tho first in his division. Hero nn un
fortunate mistake occurred, and several regi
ments of Federal soldiers fired into each
other, doing serious dnmage. Craft's brigade
took tho plucos of McArthur's exhausted men.
Cruft's men fought gullantly, but nt length
fell back some distance and took up iosiUon
near tho hospital.
When Logan was wounded ho suggested to
Col. T. E. G. Ran-som, of tho Eleventh Illi
nois, to tnko lus place witli tho Eleventh.
Itansom, too, had been wounded, but had had
his wound dressed. Both wero heroes that
day. Logan's regiment was quite out of am
munition, therefore forced to full back, when
its commnuder went to havo his wound
dressed. The Thirty-first marched back for
ammunition, leaving tho Eleventh ulone in
the fray. Hut the Eleventh was attacked not
only in front, but on both Hanks, und finally
broke nnd retreated.
Gen. Wallucu still waited, with his division
in line, for orders from Grant. McCIomund's
second message luul locii that his flanks were
turned nutl his whole command was endan
gered. It was then that Col. Cruft's brigade
was sent to his relief. Rut tho Confederate
billows still swept on. Fugitives from the
iluhl scattered dow n the hillbehiiid Wallace's
division. A mounted ollleer gulloied by. Ho
had lost las head completely, and shouted to
tho general: "Wo are cut to pieces."
Then Iw Wallace took tho reionsibility
of tho order of battle uH)ii his own shoulders.
Instantly ho ordered up his third brigade, Col.
Tliayer commanding, and throw it across be
tween tho broken troops and tho advancing
Confederates. Other regiments wero behind
ns n reserve. Ho hud barely got them in line
when Pillow und Huckner. combined, swept
down utton them. Tlio brigudo stood liko a
rock. Hero wus some of the most splendid
lighting of tho war.
Tho First Nebraska, regiment and Wood's
Chicago light artillery received tho shocks
fh-st, and hero at last the Ijpiifcdorute billows
wero thntwii back. They 'had struck a sea
wall, Mid could sweep no further. "They
withdrew," said Gen. Huckner, "in some con
fusion, but without panic, to the trenches."
It was about noon. '1 his was tho end of the
sortie. Lew Wallace had savod tlio day at
ut Donelson.
WHERE WAS GRANT?
It mny havo occurred to the render that the
namo of tlio general commanding, tlio "boss"
so to sfHttk, of them nil, has not Iteen
mentioned. In the imv.-tl light on the Hth,
Coimniiiidur Footo li.-id boon severely
wounded. Ho sent a message to Gen. Grant
that ns he, Footu, was severely wounded, the
general might iiorhaps come and see him, and
hold a council on board I lie flagship St. Louis.
Grant did so, starting ei.rly on Saturday
morning. After this consultation Footo started
back to Cairo for mortar bouts.
The fleet lay several miles down tho river
and Grant, did not get hack till about t
o'clock. Tlio sound of cannonading that
pierced through t lie woods gave no idea of
tho seriousness of the situation.
Tlio commander immediately rode from ono
point to another inspecting matters. His
first thought, when lie saw his battered bat
talions was to fall back on tho defensive, and
wait till Footo came back with a lleet and re
enforcements. At .'! o'clock in tho after
noon ho called M'Clcrnund and Wallucu to
m X
JIpIIpi
COMMANDEH FOOTE.
gother for counsel. It was held with nil three
gonerals on horseback. Grant seemed ex
cited, and as nearly nervous as Grant could be.
His face wns very serfous, almost overcast.
He helil a handful of dispatches and seemed
in profound thought. All nt onco a light
broke over tho commander's face, und then
all was serene again, Of this moment he
told Gen. Sherman afterward:
"1 saw that either side was ready to givoup
if the other showed a bold front, nnd I deter
mined to do that very thing."
So the commander became strong and
serene again, us usual. Instantly there wns
activity. Gen. C. F. Smith's forces on the
right of tho Federal line had not yet
taken part in theligjit. They were ordered
up. Gen. Smith himself, witli long, gray hair,
a color I tea iv r by his side, rodo along tho front
of his line, u striking, inspiring figure. Ho
told his men lie hiuinclf would lead them, nnd
directed them when near enough to charge
bayonet on the rillo pits. Thu sLjunl wns i
given, tho column movtsl forward and was j
met by n roar of musketry from thu title
pits.
Col. Tuttlu was in the lend with his Second
Iowa regiment. Thu advancing lino wavered
a moment under tho lire that mowed it down,
then steadied nnd went irresistibly on. When
within ningo of the Confederate, muskets Col.
Tuttlu shouted to his men, "Furwiml!" Then
they made tho rattling bayonet charge. It i
drove the Confederates from their works nnd i
Smith's men occupied them. In the midst of
cheers nud shoirts from tho whole division tho
Stars and Stripes were planted upon the J
works of Fort Donelson. Thus it wus all
over with the Confederate right. I
Over on the Federal right McClernnnd's dl- I
vision had lieen stvojtt from the ground it oc
cupied iu the morning. Although Izjw Wal
lace's men had t hooked tho retreat there und
stopjied the ortiu, yet the ground' held by
McClernnnd in the morning had not Iteen re
taken. Grant ordered Ijw Wallace to retake
it. As soon as lieu. Smith's div-Uioii bogauto
iiutvtt, Wallace was to nttuck too. Thus the
Confederates would lie engaged on both right
and left. Grunt rodo down tho river to see
that Smith was eurr ing out tho onlur on hU
fcidtt; thfii lw hurried up (o tho right to wntvh
Wallace's iwn execute their eoummiHi.
At noon it looked as If victory wan iw!ied
on the Confederate stamlaifi. To Wyim'ii
Ferry road, which luul liemi oceuuiml by Mc-Clt-niand,
wa ofiaii for tw Confederate re
treat Kuclcitor had uocoinpluJwd what lie
Iw ll'iiortlered todo, TUe time just befo
Ui ant i rdors)t tl nwewtxl attack iu the nf
ternoou had boon the jrokfcn woinent for t
capu. It was lat. liUuuUvi' had halted, wait
ing for his artillery and reserves to follow hira
out of tho intrenchments. Pillow had tele
graphed A. S. Johnston: "On tlio honor of a
soldier, tho day is ours."
All nt onco Gen. Pillow sent Huckner word
to come back nnd tako up his position within
tho works, llo could only obey. As ho fell
back with his men ho met Gen. Floyd. Floyd
was surp"e(l, nnd nskod what ho was about.
Ho ordered Duekner to stay whero ho was till
he, Floyd, could seo Pillow. Thus there was
more waiting. Finally Huckner, tho fighting
general, was onlerod to cross to the extrenio
Confederate right nnd stop Gen. Smith, who
was storming the works.
"UNCONDITIONAL SUimENDEn."
CW. Roger W. Hanson, of the Second Con
federate Kentucky, led the advance. Hut
when they reached the right it wns too late.
Tho Federal forces wero already in possession.
Hanson was a brave and accomplished Con
fcdernto officer. It is interesting to know
that he and Huckner, both fighting men,
deemed tho surrender of Fort Donelson a
necessity after that. Hanson says iu his ro
;ort: "I will tako tho liberty to add that up to tho
time when we were ordered buck to tho
trenches our success was complete und our
escajH) secure.
"It is nlso my opinion that tho exhaustion
of tho men fntm labor and loss of sleep, to
gether with the demoralization causod by tlio
loss of our trenches on tho right, rendered
tho surrender unavoidable."
When night closed in Wnllaco t(to had done
his work regained tho lost ground nnd
cleared the hill. Just when that was dono,
and he was within a few hundred feet of tho
Coiifislernto intrenchments, ho received nn
order from Grant to hnlt and fall Itack. Wal
lace dtsoltoycd tho order. He felt sure tho
general did not know his movement had been
successful. So he took his own head for it,
and bivouacked on tho field, just whero h
wns, close to the Confederates, ready in thu
morning to lw up ami nt Iheni. Hut when
morning came the sun's first rays shone trpon
n bugler, currying a white flag from Huckner
to Grant. Huekner's nu-ssagu proposed thu
npiRtiiitment of coiiimissionei-s to ngn-e upon
terms of capitulation. Grunt's reply has be
come historic:
"No terms will lie granted except un uncon
ditional and immediate surrender. I propose
to move immediately upon your works."
Huckner wrote buck: "Tho distribution of
tho forces under my command, incident to
an uncxcctcl change of coinuiMiders, nnd
tho overwhelming forco under your com
mand, couqtcl me, notwithstanding tho bril
liant success of tho Confederate amis yester
day, to accept tho ungenerous und unchival
rous terms which you pronoso."
Soon that .Sunday morning, Feb. 1(1, 1802,
the Confederate forces surrendered to Grunt,
and tho story of Fort Donelson was told.
Huckner had good reason to bo iu an un
pleasant frame of mind that morning. At
midnight tho night Itoforo a council of war
was held Itetweon himself nnd Pillow and
Floyd. Huckner told them his men could not
stand more than half an hour's fighting.
Hunger, cold und exhaustion had done their
work nt last. Resides, thcro was no more
ammunition. If his men tried to esento
three-quarters of them must lio lost to savo
tho oilier quarter. Surrender wns tho only
thing.
Floyd and Pillow said they would not sur
render, thoy trould dio first. Then Floyd
handed over the suiremo command of thn
fort to Pillow, who iu turn transferred it to
Huckner, who surrendered the fort. Pillow,
with some of his immediate jtersonal com
mand, crossed the river upon a scow and
mndo good his escaite. Two small steamers
from up tho river came about daylight to tho
landing, Tliey took Floyd nnd some of his
meu uji the river. Forrest nnd his cnvalry
escaped on horsoltack. Tlio two steamers con
tained Confederate re-cnforceinents.wlM) wero
diimcd out ii (on shore. Then Floyd's men
boarded tho lioats. Tho conduct of himself
and Pillow was regarded as unsoldierly, and
was iiiiide tho subject of a searching investi
gation from tho Confederate government, in
nn olllciul letter to the Confederate secretary
of war, Pillow thought that, considering tlio
Kfiet-i1t..W 111-, linil TM'lfl1 (Yll !. I'nnf,.l,u-flfn-
nnd "the largo and ilciiendcnt family of
grown up und unmarried dnughteis on his
hands," he had Iteen very shabbily treated.
Of tho forces engaged in this great light
there wcro of Confederates, nil told, some
thing over 19.000; of Federals, 27,(K)0. Tho
best estimate of tlio Confeilerato killed and
wounded mnkes (hem nbout i!,000. Of tlio
Union forces the killed, wounded und missing
aggregated ;i.;!-'.l.
The troops of Grant's nrmy nt Donelson
wore mostly western men, tunny of them
from Illinois nnd Indiana. One reninrkablu
fact iu this fight is tho number of men who
afterward lioonmo distinguished that (ook
pari in it. Hundreds of men nfterwaril
famous both iu military nnd civil life fought
there on those fateful days.
mm
f
"nilUKD WIIMIE TIIKV FELL."
Immediately after tho surroiitlor Grant,
McClernnnd niul Wallnco were mndo major
general. Grant's commission wus dated Feb.
10 niul he was immediately placed in charge
of 'the military district of wet TenqeKsj.
Jfiimlter of so'diors were buried on tho
Hold where they fell. Some of tin. ir grows nnt
still to lie seen. Hut of tlio earthworks and
lines of fortifications nt DoneUnn there i
senroelv a tract'. Even so from thu hearts of
tho cohtetanU that day havo faded out tho
trait-s of the lines which MMVtrated tliein.
Years, ago Huckner forguve Grant. Wlieti
the northern commander was buried, n year
and n half ago, prominent among tho jtnll
Ivaivn., who walked with tueaured tivnd Ite
tide the honored dnd. were to be seen the
soldierly figure and tmg, tine fnco of Gen.
liui kner.
Ia im -partiuc tap 4t-try of Dooehiou, materials
havf beeu Kathcrwl from many aounsm. UU tur
etally from ufflvUl itorutmuts pubttthod .v iho
tltetl I'.v ma
dim rtmv'
jflureciviiy
York Tutt-V
it the War.
v ai'jeti amies RuvermiM-uu irwti wunif
uik "J i-Mii, urarv to Uortnui. inmu
War in Am 1 1 ti i ! (Um ut Toe New
m an l llii, r'i 1 kriortal ITlMArV Of
' i niwRirutivus are ehietlyfroui Mr. Losjiug'i.
liiktory j
mi
Mm?
mil