Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-02-28
THE SENTINEL.
THE BATTLE Of FORT DoNELSON.
What was Seen and Heard at Cairo
During the Progress of. and After
the Battle.
Correspondence IF the Neso York World.
CA1Ro. Ill. Feb. 16. 1862.

McCbernand, now surround Fort Donel-
son, and it is said that all communication
with GAINESVILLE and Nashville is cut off.
The fighting has been very severe on
both sides, but the Confederates being
behind breastworks, are protected very
much from the fire of our troops. Cap
tain Gosnel, Of the Doth Illinois regi-
ment, estimates our loss up to Friday
afternoon, at over 5000 killed and
wounded. Last night one steamboat
brought down to Paducah 3S7 of our
wounded, and soon afterwards two more
steamboat loads arrived. The churches
in tho town were filing up with the
wounded, and the warehouses of Messrs.
Sheever & Co., and jarrett, Moore &
Co., are also being prepared for hospital
uses. The levee here is alive with boats
making ready to9spart with large num-
bers Of troops torefhforce Gen. Grant.
CARo, Feb. 18th, 1862.
Fort Donelson has fallen. The boat
brought the news down this morning,
and it was Immediately communicated to
Gen. Cullum. The latter stated to the
excited crowd that it was the hardest
fought battle Of the war, and a dearly
purchased victory" | cannot ascertain
the Confederate loss, but Lieut.. Simpson,
one of the prisoners, states that it is very
small in killed and wounded; but large
in prisoners. He estimates the number
of the latter at from four to six thousand.
Our loss, regret to say is set down by
the Medical Director of Gen. Grants
staff at fifteen hundred killed and five
thousand wounded. Among the latter
are very many commissioned officers.
Officers Of distinction seem to have been
a target for the Mississippi raemen.
Captain Foster, of the guuboat Caronde-
let, Who lost a leg in the action, express
es the opinion that our loss is double the
number stated above, and other officers
and soldiers who were in the engagement
corroborate his statement For myself
do not venture to give any opinion in
the matter. | have simply undertaken
to put on record what | hear and see.
All the gunboats, twelve in number,
were very badly injured. Five-some
say six-were sunk.
| have seen this day in Paducab,
Mound City, and at this place not less
than three thousand wounded men. God
forbid that should ever witness such
sight, or hear such shrieks and groans
again. The wounded are not all brought
down yet. Steamboats, are continually
arriving with the poor soldiers who
fought for the cause so CALAMITY, and the
warehouses and churches are being filled
to repletion with them. Nine hundred
of the prisoners reached here tonight
aud from one of them-Captain Harris,
of the firm of Hugh McCrea & CO.,
wholesale grocers, Nashville learn
that the number of prisoners will range
from three to six thousand, and that the
killed and wounded we're very few indeed
--miraculously so considering the despe-
rate character Of the battle.
CAIRO, Feb. Is, 1862.
! would that words were adequate to
express what l have to-day witnessed
and heard. Our wounded still continue
to arrive. The warehouses, churches,
and many private residences of this town
Paducah and Mound City, are crowded /
with thom. 1t is reported that the Rev. /
Prelate of the Catholic Church at Padu-
cab denied the use of his church for the
wounded. | do not vouch for the truth
of this statement; hut it is certain that
it has been destroyed by fire, and it is
alleged that the burning was done by our
enraged soldiers. This morning Gov.
Yates, Of Illinois, and Governor Morton.
of Indiana, with eight cars, full Of ply
sicians and ladies, reached here to minis
ter to the wants and relieve the sufferiugs
of the wounded. The number Of the
latter is fearfully large. 1t must be
counted by thousands The 2Sth Iii
nois regiment can muster but one hun.
bred and ten men the 18th but one hun.
dred and sixty. A wounded soldier of
Taylor's battery, states that but seven
men of that command escaped uninjured,
All declare that it was the bloodiest bat
tie of the war. Six STEAMBOATS, arrived
here to-day, laden with prisoners. They
left soon afterwards for the upper Mis-
sissippi. Among the prisoners was Col.
Quarles, of the 10th, and Lieutenants
Parker and Crooks, of the 50th Tennes-
see regiments. They estimate the num-
Der of Southerners within the lines at
Fort Donelson, when tho attack COM
menced, at from seven to nine thousand
men.
They state further that General Pill
low and General Floyd, with his brigade,
consisting of the % Kentucky, and the
50th aud 57th Virginia regiments, sue
ceeded in emitting their way through our
forces, taking with them some three hun
dred prisoners. 1t was in this effort of
the Confederates to evacuate the fort chat
they sustained their heaviest loss At 3
o'clock, A. NJ. tho entire force, drawn
up in line four deep, made the effort to
leave; but the powerful resistance Of
fered by our troops compelled them all TO