The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-02-27
Correspondence Of the Missouri Republican.
The Siege Of Fort Donelson.
The Last Three Days FIghting.- -
sdi ." Graphic Description. V er9i

/ -
| The Siege of Fort Donelson.
The Last Three Days Fighting. -
siii 1"' Graphic Description. 119a
| srH s43ii rndi - 1;.G 3. as;'f..i..
Stor7ning the E'aemy's Redoubts on the
~ right. " I"
| In the afternoon Gen. McClernand
determined to make formidable as
sault of a redoubt of the enemy front.
ing about the centre of his right wing.
The redoubt was the only one which
could be distinctly seen by US, owing
to the timber and underground. AT
this point the ground was for the most
part void of large timber, the barren
extending even beyond the ridge over
which our troops passed. The bate.
ries of this redoubt had got very per.
feet range here and gave our troops
considerable uneasiness,a by blazing
away at them whenever they passed
the brow of the hill. Three regiments
were detailed for the wovk-the Forty
eighth, Seventeenth and Forty-ninth
Illinois. They advanced in the line of
battle order, the Forty-ninth, Colonel
Morrison, on the right, the Seventeenth,
under command of Major Smith, (both
Colonel and Lieut.. Colonel being alb
sent,) in the centre, and the Forty
eighth. Col. Hainey, on the left. Col.
Morrison, as senior Colonel led the at
tack, the advance was most beautiful
one. With skirmishers advanced in
front, the three regiments swept down
the Hill, over knoll, down rayine,
and up the high hill on which the re-
doubt was situated, some $50 or 800
feet in height, covered with brush and
and stumps, all the time receiving a
calling fire Of grape, shell and musket-
ry, with a precision which would have
done them credit on the parade ground.
The breastworks were nearly reached,
when Col. Morrison, who was gallantly
leading on his men, was struck by a
musket ball. The captain of, the COM
pany on the right also fell. and the
Forty-ninth fell into some confusion
but unappalled, the Seventeenth still
gallantly pressed forward and penetra-
ted to the very foot of the works. But
it was not in the power of man to scale
the abattis before them. Brush piled
upon brush, with sharp points fronting
them everywhere, met them wherever
they turned; and so, after few inter-
charges of musketry with the swarm
ing regiments which had been concen-
trated here, the order for retiring was
given. 1t was done in good order, by
filing off to the left and obliquing into
the woods below; but many gallant
soldier was left behind underneath the
intrenchments they had vainly sought
to mount. They were not however,
destined to die unavenged. Scarcely
had our retiring columns got out of
range, ere Taylor's Chicago Battery
opened on the swarming rebel masses
with shell and sharpne with fearful eff
feet. Every gun was aimed by the
Captain himself, and every one of them
did honor to his craftsmanship. f..,.t-
n sortie on the left. .. ,.....
About the same time that these STIR
ring scenes were being enacted on our
right wing, the enemy made forrnida-
BILE sortie on our left. The Twenty.
fifth Indiana, one of the regiments of
Gen. Smiths division, having at one
time during the course of the day got
into an exposed position, tine enemy
promptly availed themselves of the op-
portunity afforded them, and made a
most formidable sortie from their in
trenchments. Although taken at dis
advantage, the 'Twenty-fifth met the
advancing force bravely, and although
suffering severely, with the aid of 9TH
err regiments, which promptly proceed
ed to their assistance, drove them back
to their hiding places. The lesson
seemed to be most salutary. No fur
ther sorties were made in this direc-
ton. geo fe) @ 1,si Hiaiii
The Fleet. H
During the day much uneasiness was
felt as to the whereabouts Of the gun
boat fleet. 1t was, therefore, with no
little qualification that information was
at last received about noon on Thurs
day, that the euant courier Of the feet,
the Carondolet, Lieut.. Walker had ar
rived below the Fort. In the afternoon
the report of her guns was received
with cheer upon cheer by the troops en-
circling the beleagured fort. ' 3i
Lieut.. Walkers operations this after
noon, although partaking more of the
nature of reconnaissance, were con.
sidered by the rebel officers, as have
since ascertained, as one of the most
formidable attacks they had to encoun-
ter. Hidden behind a jutling promon-
tory of the river bank, the Carondelet
itself secure from the heavier shots of
the columbiads Of the fort, hurled shell
upon shell into the water batteries of
these Notifications. The commander
of these batteries has recently informed
me that the fire of the Carondelet did
more actual damage 10 his guns than
the heavy bombardment following the
succeeding day. Inis
D'a4 Thursday night. eassieum
The night of Thursday will long be
remembered by the troops surrounding
Donelson. The weather, which for
the two previous days had been so mild
and genial, towards the close of the af-
ternoon, became chilly and lowering.
About six o'colck heavy rain set in.
During the warmth of the day before,
when monientarily expecting to meet
the enemy. whole regiments had cast