The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-03-14
OFFICIAL REPORTS OF GENL.
LEWIS WALLACE.
Sd DIvIsToN o. S. FORCES, I
DIsTK1cT OF WEST TENNEssEE,

DIsTK1CT OF WEST TENN EssEE,
Fort Henry, February 20, 1862. J
Capt John a. RasOlins, Asst. Adjt. General.
u. s. Forces, Dist. Of West Tennessee
SRA report of the action of my Divis-
ion before Fort Donelson has been delayed
from various causes. | submit to the Gen.
eral as speedily as possible.
The Third Division assigned to me con-
sisted of the Thirty-frst Indiana, Lieut. Col.
Osborn commanding, Seventeenth Ken
lucky, Col. John Fl. MeHenry, Forty-fourth
Indiana, Colonel Hugh B. Reed, and the
Twenty-ffth Kentucky, Col. Jas. NJ. Shack
elfOrd, all constituting the First Brigade,
Col. Charles Cruft commanding Also the
First Nebraska, Lieut.. Col. McCord, Sew
enty.sixth Ohio, Col. Wood, Fifty-eighth
Ohio, Col. Steadman, constituting the Third
Brigade, Col. John NJ. Thayer command
ing. A brigade numbered ''Second' in the
order was not formed together, as an organi-
zation, before or after the action. Three
regiments, the Forty-sixth Illinois, Colonel
Davis, Fifty-seventh Illinois, Col. Baldwin,
and the Fifty-eighth Illinois, Col. Lynch,
believed to be a portion of the last men
toned brigade, came mp on Saturday dur
ing the &C on, and were attached to Col.
Thayer's command.
The position of the Third Division was in
the centre of the line of attack, Gen. Nc
Clernand being on the right, and General
Smith on the left. My orders, received
from Gen. Grant, were to hold my position
and prevent the enemy from escaping in
that direction-in other words, to remain
there and repel any sally from the fort
Under the orders had no authority to take
the offensive.
The line established for my command
was on the cone of high ridge, thickly
wooded to the front and rear, and traversed
by road which made the way of commu-
nication from the right to the left Of our
| army. The right of my division, when
posted, was within good supporting dis
| lance from Gen. McClernand, and not more
than Eve hundred yards from the enemy's
outworks indeed my whole line was with
in easy cannon shot from them.
The evening of the 14th (Friday,) was
quiet, broken at intervals by guns from the
| rebels. At night pickets were sent to the
| front along the line,s which, was retired
| somewhat behind the ridge, to enable the
men in safety to build fires for their BIZ
vouacs. They laid down as besttbey could
| on beds of ice and snow. strong cold wind
making their condition still more disa-
greeable.
The morning of the 18th my division
formed line early, called up by The
sound of battle raging on the extreme
| right, supposed, at first, to be Gen. Nc
| Clernand attacking. The firing was very
| heavy and continuous, being musketry and
| artillery mixed. About 8 o'clock came a
message from Gen. McClernand asking as
sistance. It was hurried to headquarters,
/ but Gen Grant was, at that time, on board
| one Of the gnnboats arranging, as was un-
i 1erstood, an attack from the river side.
| Before il " a, heard from, a second message
reached me from Gen. McClernand, stating,
substantially, that the enemy had turned
his flank, and were endangering his whole
command. Upon this, Col. Cruft was in
stantly ordered to move his brigade on to
the right ard report to Gen. McClernand
Imperfectly directed by guide, the Colo
neFs command was carried to the extreme
Eight Of the engaged lines. where it was was
after the retreat or retirement of the divis
ion he was sent to support, for time bore
the brunt of the battle After a varied
struggle, charging and receiving charges
the enemy quit him, when he fell back ii
position nearer to support, his ranks il
good order and nnbroken, except where
soldiers of other regiments plunged through
them in hurried retreat. In this way
portion of Colonel Shackelford's regimen
(Twenty-tifth Kentucky and about twenty
of the Thirty-6rst Indiana, with their com
manding officers, became separated from
: their colors. ###s
Soon fugitives from the battle cam
crowding up the hin in rear of my owl
line, bringing unmistakable signs of disas
: ter. Capt. Rawlins was conversing with
me at the time, when mounted officer gal
loped down the road, shouting, +" We ar
cut 10 pieces r. The effect. was very per
ceptible. To prevent q panic among the
! regiments of my Third Brigade, orderes
Col. Thayer to move on by the right flank
He promptly obeyed. Going in advance o
the movement myself, | met portions O
regiments of Gen. McCIernands division
coming back in excellent order, conductel
by their brigade commanders, Colonel
Wallace, Oglesby and Macarthur, and al
calling for more ammunition, want Of which
was the cause of their misfortune. Colone
Wallace, whose GOODNESS under the circum
, stances was astonishing, informed me tina
: the enemy were following, and would
shortly attack. The crisis was come; ther'
was no time to await orders; my ThirC
Brigade had to be thrust between our re-
firing forces and the advancing foe. Ac
cordingly I conducted Col. Thayer's com.
mand up the road where the ridge dips to-
wards the rebel works; directed the Colo
mel to form a new line of battle at righl
} angle with the old one; seEt for company
A, Chicago Light Artillery, and despatched
a messenger TO inform Gen. Smith of the
state of affairs, and ask him for assistance
The head of Col. Thayers column filed
| right double-quick. Lieut.. Wood, com
manding the artillery company sent for
gallopeda up with portion of his battery
and. posted his pieces so as to sweep ap-
proach by the road in front line of re
serve was also formed at convenient dis
tance in the rear of the FIRST line, consisting
of the Seventy-sixth Ohio and Forty sixth
and Fifty-seYenth Illinois.
The new front thus formed covered the
retiring regiments, helpless from lack Of am
nEnnition, but which coolly halted not fal
of, some of them actually within reach O
the enemy's musketry, to refill their cart
ridge boxes. And, as formed, my new from
, consisted of Woods battery across the road
en- the right of the battery the First Ne
braska aud FIfty-eigh Ills; left of the bat