Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-22

. From letter from the battlefield, pub.
liahsa IN The 81 LOUIS Republican,, w
copy ths following account Of the battle 81
- Fort DOnslsOn, with the most interestins
ineidsats Of the engagement The appear.
Ehoe Of ths ehemy's works, and ihe position
~ q he troops Thursday night are thus de.
osribsd By the correspondent Of the Repnb-
HssR; sos
By reconnoisances on the hills around,
- the lecAlity Of the different Wor he could be
seen. OE to the len was strong posi-
ton, redan, with high works Of earth
rising on the top Of an ominence difficult
q ascend, and with rife pits around it.
O. Five hundred yards away, and directly on
the banks Of the river, was Fort DOnelson,
enoirolsd n The usual manner By q long
line Of breastWorks, with rifle pits where
b, ever they could be placed 70 sdvantage. A
quzrteF of Q mile TO the right was another
battery, commanding the road along the
ridges into the fort while at Dover, lying
little further sboye on the river, we're
more defehses.
- Zhis vas the position chosen by the reb-
lsaqsSls 70 make last desperate effort for the
control Of the rivers Of Tennessee, stretch
M e they do into the hoart Of rebel ter
ritory. General Grant determined that
this time the rebels should either fight or
eureender, not escape BY flight as ct Fort
Henry, and threw his troops into positions
hr1m which they could Be extended, when
necessary, into . column three miles long.
% RsFt Of General McOlernands division,
under Colonel oglesby, occupied the ridge
# j foad. Other regiments supported batter
Q is5 in positions from whence they could
- open 1re next morning, and General Smith's
49, La IL he
Iaoa redan. Thus the two forces lay during the
night, each others Wstchfres being less
than half mile spsrt The rebels en-
q csmpsd on hills and We on others equally
IS high, with 8 valley between US and
then, seeming, SO deceptive is distance in
Gush cases, less than pistol shot apart.
The following briefly sketches operations
oRFridAy;
Morning passed without the expected st..
tack taking place. New troops had been
- formed in line; General Lewis Wallace
za Esd srrived from Fort Henry, with three
regiments, and the soldiers we're impatient
foF action. At half-past two 8 single sOli-
- tary report Of 8 big gun came from the
s river, and then terrible, deafening roar
frun dozen heavy cannon. The late VIC
4orieus feet WBs again in sction, and as
s. The eohoes died away, cheer after cheer
"a rsns along lines three miles in extent No
answering shout came from the fort, but
only the rapid report Of The guns fired in
return, and nervous movements Of large
bodies Of men to Fepel expected assaults.
An hour snd ten minutes the csnnonsd.
ing continued, and then closed, and it was
learned that for important reasons q decis-
ave attack had been deferred.
FRIDAT NIGHT. -
That night was passed ss the preceding
one. without tents, each man endesvoring
to forget, by courting sleep in his blanket,
that ke vas chilled 70 the bone and the
cold increasing Other things, too, we're
o6surFing 70 trouble the soldiers rest. In
the redoubt only couple Of hundred yards
distant we're sounds Of an enemy busily
ct work, evidently plying By night his
means for attack or escape. A hundred
axss and spades broke the stiffness, but no
other sound, not even q mUrmuF came
from beyond the valley. There was some
thing strange as We lay there, in the sound
Of he spades striking the stony soil. 1t
seemed as If an army Of sections were bus
IlY at work burying their dead, or body
Il miners delying in darkness for treasure
Finding slsep impossible two Of Us left ouI
companions in their blankets and vent
cat from The shed Of boughs We had thrown
up. This was on the extreme right wing
Il of the Union army where the end Of it,
4 half circle rested almost in the town O
Z Dover and close to q rebel redOubt. II
4 wishing to escape, there would be NOR
1stsiy spot than any other to attempt 81
i erit enabling the garrison to retreat NJ
+ -. "a. Part Of General MeClernandt
division .Seld the position, supported b!
Fl WofIIigtsrJs Tsylor's end SchWarz's bat
tsries. The yround was covered viii
4 snow. and While Walking up and down b
4 Keep wsrm, sny objsot moving could b
seen plainly as some a. ssla1ee, -Oti undel
4 tie walls q tie rsdoubt, two or three hg
uros WsFe visible, crouching and gliding
along, and once, fOT 3 moment aAfk %
fsok Hks sman, rose upon the wall Aionl
the Union lines nothing could be heard
except occasionally, q sharp crush in th
snow Is some sentinel changed his posi-
fion. At that spot, 3 few hours after, We
II fought one Of the hardest battles OF tn
II -wnF.rs s1l . gea-
u a1 TIN BATTLE on SATURDAY.
HWas just four O'clock as the sounds o
rsbeI industry ceased, and daylight be-
hardly daWaed when The woods on our ex
H : tFaTe riehE were discovered sNarnin
II With the enemy, and they hurled them
Il ia selves desperately upon the end Of the On
h IN line. = From. every bush beyond spe
4 - bullets Whue tuo. guns iron athe redouu
fhreW grape and canister. Colonel 0gles
by's brigade was the one attacked, and u
II nature Of the position allowed but Q singl
b , uent ID actien ate Hme. st-
III Back towards the redoubt our troop
III drove the enemy, the firing on both .gidG
III being terrible. Men fell BY dozens on sv
II n siis. vst not q pause or faltsF. from u
III Union troops. Suddenly reinforcement
III 0oursd out from the redoubt and sloVl
aa1 ~ foot disputed, each remnant Of Il
H -. 1satse fell back. Their lesders Is
49, wounded, whole companies SEEM
-ttiis, ID, every bush By their side bla
ii -;.L ~. Gre directed ct them, but the
- y. =. u -. -. 'o1--not . man fed from 9
60 tL;Dns5 Tsrts. -1,I They sired their last Y
u s-.s, l.-l1S1 - -tfSp was exhausted q
n ley, their emmnnla - -, --l 4
f5s psTeei4ed it, and : Fsos o,s ;, elly .s.a
u si.oiisi to BE men, g 4 ~ - = q
p III moment Of Suspense 4Asip0t s-lN
we're hdndrsab q yards ,NEs5i ,he i
4 buIlet had been fred, and the s,aSisiEy oAi
I thundering On. Z Suddenly there Nas
aatsneous fash Of steel, AMI tor'
Of bsyoneis rose up. The fee hesisatedl
the sharp points, brseed By resolnte han
- N.1An -rra mn or