The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-24

Weens On m ost0u OF Mf. SMITH, the 8euoo I'd.
Journed anul Monday. <l 5
LATEST NoRTH1RR NEWS.
From Northern dates 70 the 18th inst. We
MAKE mp the following sSm0aFy Of nsws:
rxB sTRrGGLI At 1oaf DoHxLsoH.
We copy from the Northern papers some
fuythsr, details relative TO. the fighting 1t
Fort Donelson. The measure Of their praise
isUa hey sussainsd from Ne Uon1edesats
in spite Of their overwhelming numbsrs:
80 s. sAfuRDAr's ooHfEs1.
At daylight large body Of the enemy sud.
denly appeared on tho extreme night wing
Of COL. Ogiesby's command, and opened y
terrible Nro with cannon nom their redoubt,
f1om the guns which had been placed in po.
tition on tho night previous.
Tho camps OF the Twenty ninth and Chir.
ty. drst Illinois were must sxposed. The
whole brigade was at once formed into line
~ follows
Tne Eighteenth Illinois Regiment held the
extreme right; the Eighth Illinois came next;
then the Tnirtieth 1liiaois; then the Twenty.
ninth Iiiiaois. supporting the right Of Gap.
tain Schwartz's artillery, and tns Thirty
first Illiu ois oefendipg the artillery on the
left s-.....-
From the firing Of the first gun until nine
O'Clock, the battle rASed unrsiaAttingiy, and
with fearful loss ON both siaes. Again and
1gain our troops drove the enemy back, but
they were often reinforced, while our troops
had, owing to the extended lines Of the army,
and also their position on the extreme rignt,
to light unassisled. E.ssa
more gallant nshtine never tsok place
than that of the Union troops. Exposed TO
the terrible firing OF triple their number, they
atoOd their ground nnlil, in some regimsnts T.,
every officer was killed or wounded.
AT last, and reluctantly, regiment BY rsgi-
mont, they slowly fell back leaving Schwas " .
battery and three OF McAllistsr's guns in the
rebels hands. Retiring q few hundred yards
they then made stand, and Gen. smith &rriv.
ed with reinforcements and at once drove the
On emy again into their works.
2 The lebels, from their advantageous posi-.
tons, shoWered upon our ranks most murder
Gus volleys Of muskesry. gr.pe and canister,
companies. at every round. Yet every man
stood his ground bravely. These four xeSi.
ments held their ground, dealing death, and
Gyn: saa as as.n:t
seenth Illinois regiment seems TO have resist.
ed the severest storm. Against their ranks
the rebels directed the heaviest 1rO, but In.
:tssd Of falling back ak ,s hey % .avsacsd TO tho
Jaws OF death, with scarcely prospect that
a single one would escape.
Atone time. tho Eiehteeenth, being parti-
ally fianked, was exposed to q cross hrs Of
wing soon relieved them. At this critical
moment, Dol. Lawyer fell. Captain Bush,
acting Lieutenant. Colonel. then assumed the
command, but was soon wounded; Captain
Oruas was shot dead; Captain Lawler was
mortally wounded; Ltsatenants munsford
and Thompson were killed; Captains Dillon
and Wilson. and LAeutsnants Kslly and
Scnnlan. wounded; 20 that the daring "Egyp-
tian Regiment" stood before tho almost over.
whslming force without officers.
Companies were bersft Of captains and lieu
tenants, and captains were almost bereft OF
companies; the other three egtments did their
duty nobly. Oolones Oslseby, lndarsb. and
hats, and cheering their men on to the con.
fict ''Sufsr death.'' cried Logan, "but dis.
grace never! Stand drm!' and well they
needed him. Many fell dead and wounded.
Among the latter we're Oo,. Logan and Lieu
Never, perhaps. on the American cont.
nent, has more bloody battle been fought
An efacer who participated. and was
description. So thickIy was tho battle iieid
strewn with tho dead and wounded that he
could have traversed acres OF 1t by taking
almost every step upon PROSTATE body.
artillerists using their pieces with the most
fearful effect.
On either side could be heard scores Of
those in command cheering on their men.
division, driven the enemy back with rein.
forcements and gained tho loss ground, at
once ordered an advance by General Smith
on the left
on which was located the outer redoubt. our
troops gained the high breas' works, and with
hardly pause went over them, planting the
Stars and Stripes over this walls under a
mcst CALLING fire.
They then formed, charged, and drove tho
enemy back until he fell into new position
behind some batteries.
Our troops held their position during the
night, Iepelling tho repeated ass ,nlts OF the
enemy.
Tho scene within the captured fort after
tho surrender showed how terribly the rebel
garrison had suffered. Every where were
lying fragments Of shells And round shot,
half buried In the ear n tents ware torn to
pieces, sun.carrIagss broken, and blood scat.
tered around.
In the left redoubt, where the assault had
taken place. the dead bodies lay tbickiy, and
abund ant evidence q a stern resistance and
gallant attack was visible On the extreme
right, where the desperate sU-tte WAS made
by the garrison, similar scenes ware visible.
Several of our men, when cut C ammuni.
ton, rushed forward. aLd although exposed
10 the full fire of tbs rshei artillery, gallant.
ly drove their foes bsck ? ia the nayonet,
and captured their Enns.
DfoeSCr's and 6ChTartZS batteries were
captured during tie action, bat tae Eight.
eenth Illinois, With cluboed IIns:ets, recoy-
cred Dresser battery. w1tie the rhirty.h
recovered thai Of Captail schwartz.
cosYKDEaArs Loss.
It is impossible to state the precise extent
Of the captures, avery thing being in snch con.
fusion within The for treas. The 6l.t end 57th
Virginia regiments, anC several ArEansas
Alabama, and Texas regiments ware among
the forces which left w.th Pillow and Floyd
in the night.
The rebel surgeons place their lo'e IN killed
and wounded at between three aud four hun.
dred killed an d double ths M N ber wounded
The following nre the names Of some Of the
rebel officers captured
Uol. CAN'T, Oot. Voorhees,. Co'. Forrest,
Col. Brown, aud Col. Abernet.y.
The following dispatch shows That the
Federalists have discovered that they have
not captured Gen. A. &. Johnston:
OAiRO, Feb. 1.-THE steamer Memphis ar
rived from Fort Dcneison this evening,
biipgi: q Mississippi regiment OF prisoners
and some fftv or sixty wounded soi'sers who
were left at Mound City. hight or nine othea
boats we're ON their way mp with prisoners
The rebels who escaped from Fort Dcnels0n
went to Nashville or Olarksville, where 1t IL
supposed the rebels will make another stand
The prisoners from Fort Donelson will pro.
badly Re sent to, Camp Douglas, chicago.
It appears that the General Johnston cap
tured mt Fort Donelson IL Bushrod johnson
NJ Tsnuasaao n RriRadiar Qeneral and not