The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-02-26
CAPT. GREGG At THE COURTHOUSE

On Tuesday forenoon, the 18th, simple
printed notice in common newspaper type
was stuck on our bulletin board, that Capt.
Gregg would meet his friends in the
court house that evening and tell them some
thing about the battle of Fort Donelson. The
same notice was published in the Erentag
Arqus, an hour before the time for the peo-
pie to meet. This was all the effort made to
give notice of the meeting.
Before the hour Of meeting 4 o'clock the
court house was densely packed by ladies and
gentlemen and little by little they began to
give up their seats, for standing room until
the house was one solid mass of human be-
ings,
About = o'clock the tall form of the gal
liant captain was discovered near the entrance
Like flash of lightning, Gregg, Gregg"
was repeated through the the vast throng Of
people, and such cheer as was uttered from
thousand throats, made the old walls trem-
bic. 1t was almost useless to try to make an
opening through the mass of people, but the
Cuplulu WAS llllcu SpncupN' luPidiy anu
as he passed over the railing, some one said
"Three cheers aud tiger for Capt. Gregg"
and the house shook again with tremendous
cheers.
The captain succeeded in getting upon the
stand, already, like the desks, tables and
chairs, packed full Of ladies, and there he
stood for two full hours, giving the people Il
detailed account of the battle, interrupted now
and then with great applause. No newspa-
per account of that battle can equal it,
He began with the moving of his regiment
from Camp Douglas only two weeks since
and passed rapidly to the scene Of battle
His description of the regiment, its want Of
practice its inferior arms, &c, was given in
very few words, aud he then passed to the
scene Of battle,
lie followed with graphic description Of
the scene of the conflict, the fort, the batter.
les, the position, of the ground, the condition
of the forces, the part taken by each, the
Commandment by the guuboats, the progress
of each days work, the nights passed in mud,
snow and rain, the warm hearts of the brave
BOYS for the ladies of the Rock Island Sol
diers' Aid Society, who had helped to make
them comfortable through the storm, the mu
sic Of the musketry in battle, the terrible de-
structon Of everything in the way Of the reb'
el cannon, the unfortunate accidents which Oc.
CURED, the brave and noble bearing of our
men, the heroic conduct Of Gen. Smith, the
account Of the surrender, the marching into
the fort, the excellent conduct of the federal
troops on the occasion, the cause and the man.
ner of Floyd and Pillows flight with their
men, he fishing of their arms out of the riv-
er, the amount of articles captured, the de.
scription of the barracks and huts in which
the rebels soldiers lived, the innumerable
quantity and variety of articles strewn over
the battle field and about and in the fort, the
probable number of killed and wounded on
both sides, and the articles he brought home
and exhibited to the audience were all allud
ed to in minute and interesting detail.
He spoke with great modesty of himself
and the part taken by his company, but paid
a high compliment to the bravery and steady
action of his noble fighting Irish boys. lie
also paid high and merited compliment to
the brave Iowa ID" aud to the heroic con-
duct of the troops from Illinois, and other
states, who bore the brunt Of the battle with
unAincbing courage. He spoke in terms of
great affection for the noble dead and wound.
cd of his company, and alluded in general
terms to the terrible havoc caused by all who
were engaged in the fight.
His description of the appearance Of the
rebel soldiers after surrenderng, was full of
ludicrous pictures, and he gave them full
credit for their bravery, although exhibited