, 1862-03-09
Gen. Pillows 8tacIai IKeport.-F F3is
Account Of the Surrender Of Eorl

Gen. Pillows 8tllc1ai Report--735a
Account Of the Surrender Of Fort
Donelaon and his Escape.
Gen. Pillow publishes his official report Of
operations 1T Fort Doncleou in the Memphis
Asalanche. We extract that part in which he
na1rates the closing events on Saturday Of the
igIt, and details his reasons for running away:
The operations Of the day had forced the en-
Tire command Of the enemy around to our
right wing, and in front Of Gen. BueEner'5 po-
siticn III the intTelchnt,lts, and when his
command reached his position, be found the
eGcmy rapidly advancing to take possession
Of this portion Of his work. He had 4 stub
born conaict lasting one and half hours, to
regain It, and the eu.luy actually got posses
sion Of the cxt1erlG rigil. Of his ptjsltiou, and
he held it so tiln1: that lie could not dislodge
lin.
Tie position thus gained By the enemy WIS
most commanding one, being Immediately
On the rear Of our river battery and deld work
for its protection From it he could readily
turn the irtrenchtd work occupied by General
Buckner, and attack him in reverse, or ad-
yauCc under cover Of al Intervening ridge d.
rect1y upon our battery or field work. While
be held this position, It was manifest We cou1d
not hold the main work OF battery. Such was
The condition Of the armies at nightEll, after
nine Eouls Of severe conflict, on the 10th inst,
! in which our loss was severe, and leaving not
less than five thousand Of the enemy dead and
| wounded on the field Ne left on the hald
nearly all his wounded, because We could not
remove them. We left his dead unhuried, be-
cause TIE could not bury them.
t Such conflict and courage has perhaps never
| before occurred upon this continent. We took
/! about 500 prisoners and large number Of
| arms. We had fought this battle to open tic
way for our army and relieve Us from an IN
yestment, which would necessarily reduce us
and the position By famine. We had occupied
| the Whole day to accomplish, our object, and
before re could prepare 10 leave, after taking
in the wounded and the dead, the enemy had
nlense force Of fresh troops, and fc-occupied
his original position in the line OF Investment,
thus again cutting Oft our retreat.
We rad only about L. .oo0 troops, all told
| 1.-THE truth Of this assertion may be judged b5
| the fact that we took more than 400 prisoners
that z, ,sG0 secssh were killed and wounded. and Al
least 6.I0 escaped with the thief Floyd; maxim.
total Of more than 20. COED. TE1BrSz.l
Of these, la1Ge proportion we lost in til.
trenches night and day for fire days, expo=es
to the SNOW, sleet, mud and water, Withou
shelter and without adequate covering, ami
without sleep
In this condition. the general officers held
, consultation to determine what We should do
Gen EucEncr gave i as his decided opin;o,
| thai he cc1aid not hold his position one h.l
/ hour against al assault Of the eucul7 an
: | said the enemy would attack lin next morn
| ing 1T daylight. Tie proposition was the
:, made by the undersigned to again fight ou
: way through the euenyss line, and cut on
| way Gut. Cen Buckper said his cou11nau
'. vas so worn out, cut to pieces and den1ora
: I lied, that he could not make another tight
that it would cost the command three lua
ters Of its present number to cut It's wa
through, and it was wrong to sacrifice tflret
; quarters Of command to save quarter
/ that no officer had a right to cause such
sacrifice. Gen. Floyd and Minor Gi!mer III
dcrsiood to conc1r in this opinion
[ then expressed the opinion tlat we coul
! hold cut another day, and in that time "
could get steamboats, and set the coaaman
over Tie river, and probably save large po
: fion Of it. To this Gen. BucsneI replied til:
1 tie cnemy would certainly attack him at tla,
I:ht, and that he could not hold his posftl1
: laff an hour. The alternative Of these prop
. sitlons Was 4 surrender Of their position n,
E tier surrender thc command, nor would he st,
r render Liulsclfa prisoner Inad taken the Sill
r position. Gen. Euekner said lie Was satisfi.
= nothing else eonll be done, and that, therefor
i hewonl1 surrenderif placed in command. Gc
= | EloIl said he would turn over the colnnlar
to him il lie could be allowed to Withdraw
| command. To this General Buckuer CO
, scented. Thereupon General Floyd turned II
| command oTer to me, passed it Instantly
= Gen. Buckncr, say ing would neither sure
- g der the command nor myself q prisoner
+ directed Col. Forces. to cut lis way on
;. | Under these circumstances Gen. Buckncr 4
), cuptcd the command, and sent q iIa:. Of tru
l. to the enemy, for an arinstice of six hours
&c negotiate for terms Of capitu1ation. Befo
this i'a:r and communication Tas luli1crGI,
o | retired from tho garrison.