The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-25
The Battle of Fort Donels0n.

The Battle of Fort Donelson.
We give to-day some further incidents o! this
battle
THIRD BATTLE.
Our left wing had been llstlcss during the
day. They had heard the roar OF the conflict,
and had been eager 80 take part n it, and row
the time had coule, when their wishes we're to
be gra!ted ! wcnt over the iu!a with Coz.
Llnmun. commanding tho forces in the engage.
meat, viewed every locality, hid the po>itAns
pointed ont, ard saw the evidences Of the
stiife.
The rebels had rot less than three iiucs OF
dc.gnEa on the left Ct our centre oach onc be-
in on tie crest uf u ridge, the ridges being par
aiiei % each Other, with Iavi0ts htty i11t 02ep
between. there Is Ii, bottom land III these rt.
vines, out as soon yea deec"nd from ous y0u
couluIlco usuenIin% anD,htr. hU 1Wo i..a"r
lines were mhapkm@ats, defended by field }it-
co3, ol which they bad c'SIt full batteries, or
iOrty-c!ghc pieces S.x Of them we've IN position
to command the place attacked by Col. '.2n
man.
The outer line of dcrrnoe~ wc,t gilg-pite.--
Oak logs were piled up, and heop9d WITH earth
! in froili. There were ten Of tbesa pits, EACH
,abont sixty feet long, with ditch inside so
that while loading the men would not I've cX-
posed.
They looked down steep bill aboul thirty
rods The entire slope was covered with iaI en-
timber, not enough 10 prevent the progress OF
man walking sngly ard alone ; bus sufficiently
thick to break II company OF men. At the foot
OF the slope is meadow aad y corniield
| There were three rebel regiments III the pits.
Heads Tennessee, Hanson's Kentucky. and, ii
my Information is correct, the Twentieth Mis-
sssippi. Behind them, npon the second ridge,
were two regiments and several field pieces in
support the distance between the tHo D;ihg
shorl musket shot, but The ravIne was quite
Deep and the second ascent more abrupt than
| the first. Col. Lanman iorned his column in
| the meadow in full view Of the enemy, who
! could sec every movement without themselves
being seen. llstrigade moved across the cleared
! land, entered the li,tc fringe OF uncut timber,
came to the base Of the steep ascent and met
the lcaden rain from the hight above.
| stood by the rifle pits and locked down the
steep. it seemed that it would be no difficult
| task for regimen. to hold ten thousand at bay
in sucha position.
] went down the hill and looked up, and
| wondered how men could Chamber over the
ascend such Il hill in the face Of Il terrific fire
But it was done. Without firing single shot
| they moved steadily on, stumbling, failing, but
crossing the abatti, and charging with cheer
rghtnto the centre, thou h raked by the two fan.
king rebel regiments. Col Hanson Kentucky
| regiment, as ain informed by Gen. Jphnson's
| aid. Major McLain, is considered one of the best
| in the servlce-numberlTg twelve hundred.
They stood their ground I'll The advancing col
umn had reached the pit, and then, unable to
meet the gllstening line Of bayone,s, fled down
the hill behind them, up the second, like flock
OF frightened sheep, and gained their second
line OF works, where strong supports were in
! position.
Col Lanman held his men in check, having
obtaint the position, Tor the enemy in reserve
poured heavy fire upon our advancing col
umns They stopped upon the crest of the
ridge. about ten rods in the rear Of tho rifle
pits, and for - lew minutes there was q fire al
most without IL parallel. | p cked up four Of
| the enenys bullets on spot of ground not lar
ger than common pailor centre table The
trees were severely cut and marked. Col Ian
man was on foot aud showed Inc where he
stood: one tree ut his right hand was marked
with hive bullets, one struck the ground at his
| leet nearly all the trees had similar marks
lie mad carried the position. and not decIning
1t prudent to attempt no second, drew oil his
men to the rifle pits, and then, within musket
shot OF the secold line, lay down for Il niynt s
rest, with the expectation OF renewing the en-
gageulent ut an early hour.
LOOK AT TIE PRISONERS
just BET re su0s,G tJo9 Il rambe through
the ground, and encampments of tac rebels. 1t
Is impossible to describe the scene. The rebels
were failing into line preparatory to emb.rking
upon the steamers. Standing upon u hill be-.
yond the village, had at one view almost all
! their force. Hoyarrh never saw such sight !;
Shakespeare, in his conceptions OF Falstaf7s Cat
tsrdenlalions, could not have imagined the like.
J do not mean that they were deficient in intel
lec. tor among them were noble men, brave lei
lows, who shed tears when they found they
, were prisoners Of war, and who swore with
round oaths that they would shoot Floyd as they
would dog, it they could get chance, but
nat Tor grotesq1e appearance they were never