Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-02-28
The Siege of Fl. Donelson.

The current Of the Cumberland river at
Dover runs nearly North, but Immediately at
the town as you ascend the stream, TT leads
towards the East, not an abrupt bend but
gentle curve. The banks on the West side
are quite elevated, but the hills arc cut by
numerous ravines The hills are about one
hundred feet high, just such elevations rs arc
to be seen in Egypt or along the Ohio
About one half mile below or North Of the
town, there is round knob cleared, and
planted with corn the past season. tits fully
one hundred feet high, and the ascent on the
north side is very steep-too steep to be
plowed. It was covered with forest, which
was cleared when the work of entrenching
began. There the rebels set up their batter.
les for the defence of the river.
Before describing these, may say that
there are three separate works-the water
batteries, the fort, and the rear line of en-.
trenchments. Commencing with the water
batteries, low down, close upon the bank,
you see, as you stand in front Of them, what
appears to be a hole in the side Of the hill.-
Upon examination you find it to contain one
l2S-pound rifed gun from the Tredegar works
at Richmond, and two 32-pound howitzers.
The rifled gun is a fair piece Of workmanship,
and as you run your eye along the sights,
you can easily imagine that it will send ball
straight down the stream mile and half
to the distant level, plump into any boat
1t is in an admirable position. .-0.a
Right above it commences trench which
is dug to the side Of the hill, or rather which
runs up it in a diagonal, as if an attempt was
being made to construct a road. The hill is
so steep that in ten rods distance there is
room for eight 32-pounders. At the upper
end of the trench is q second 1913 FOUNDER.
Standing at any gun, you can see that all
can be brought to bear upon any object down
the river; that gunboat approaching can
be raked from stem to stern, and that shot
can be poured straight into her bows, point
blank from the lower guns, and upon her
decks, plunging fire from the big gun at
the toy Of the trench. The embankment is
well constructed and from the nature of the
ground it is almost casemate. A shot strik-
ing below or above would do no damage.
Now, transferring yourself to a gunboat
you would see that it would be next to an
impossiblity to reach the big gun at the up,
per end Of the trench for, turn your bows
head on to avoid the sho:, you would still
be rakcd by some Of the rebel guns. This
was the river defense, and most admirable
found, in the attempt to lombard it.
Ascending the crest Of the ridge, you sec
Fort Donelson-enclosing about or 6 acres
an embankment with ditch outside. The
ditch is narrow and the embankmcnt thin
1t has vast number of angles-nearly fifty
| should judge-the most irregular thing i'm
aginablc. It's like never was before con
structcd. A little creek runs in rear of tho
| h -.
bles from the ground, which supplied thu
surrounding camp with water. AT the north
west angle, curtain extended to the south
west, running along a ridge of land, conform
ing to the undulations and variations of thu
ground, to creek which entities into the rv
er above the town Of Dover. It is simply (,
breastwork with shallow ditch inside. L
runs through forest all the way Still far
ther to the rear, is second ridge upon which
the rebels erected rifle pits near the creek, ir
rear Of the town, and protecting the roat
which comes in from the southwest on ,
river line simply brcastwork
Passing over all the skirynshing of Tues
day ani "Wednesday, we briefly notice
THE GuNBOAT FIGHT.
Thursday, Feb. 9th, had been marked b,
the successful bombardment of Fort Henry
an event that will live in history in the list O
brilliant naval achievements to the lastip.
fame of Com. Foote. The gunboats whici
participated in this splendid action were tn,
Cincinnati, ST. LOUIS, Corondcet, and Essex
the Taylor, Conestago, and Lexington Thes
came out OF the engagement well nigh un
scathcd and ready for another encounte
which has not been long delayed. t
Pittsbmg, left Cairo on the night of the ! / Il
inst, for the Cumberland river. The ST
Louis was the fag-ship-the vessel on boar,
of which Commodore Footc remained. O,
the way tho Conestago was met comm.
down the Ohio as a c0nvor to the Lexington
which had been the most damaged i'm tn
Tennessee river affair. She was hailed an,
added to the feet. From Paducah the gun
boats acted as a convoy to the sixteen trans
port vessels laden with troops for the rein
forcemcnt of Gen. Grant. ...
Thirty live miles from Fort Donelson tn
feet was met by an express steamer comm.
down to hurry up the transports. Gen
Grants dispatch stating that the fighting ha,
commenced and reinforcements were needed
The feet arrived within two miles of the For
at - o'clock on Thursday night The Car
ondelet had been ordered to open the ball
o'clock on Thursday morning She ad
vanced within mile of the Fort and opened
fire. She was quickly responded to, and af
ter firing 1873 shots was obliged to retire
having received 82-pound ball through he
port side, striking the main steam pipe. Sh,
retired down stream couple of miles. II
the afternoon. after repairing the damac,
sustained in the first sally, she was agai,
ordered to attack She fred a number O
shots, but without effect. iH'3
During Thursday night, Gen. Grant hat
a conference with Commodore Foote, and i
was decided to make more general BON
bardment the next day, Friday. The gallan
Commodore did not hesitate to declare to hi
fellow officers that far more difficult tasl
was before him than had been presented !,
the taking of Fort Henry. Our readers vii
understand from the descriptions Of localitie.
elsewhere given, what these increased diff
culties were. Instead Of the low battery OF
the banks Of the Tennessee, scarcely highe,
above the water than the deck Of the gun
boats, the upper batteries Of Fort Donelsor
frowned down from the bluff one hundred
feet above the river.
Nevertheless there was no hanging back
and Commodore Foote and his officers were
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