New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-08
TIE determination to Surrender,
The COwariye Of Pillow and E}syd Confessed
How they Deserted Poor R'skneF'
Wrvfuls. Feb. -, 1902.

sb"s,e srcre,dc-ed as prisoners 10 know their
dion fs,at deem il 70, III proper 10 lay before 'he
pe.f. tuy O.acial report o. the series VI acnVhS
,s..I.rfls at Font DoneisOn. Tbs J am aware j.
irre,g q. AND in VOLS ion of the usages of the Gov
ernwea; oas | feel shat he extraordinary clrcI'M-
,,sa~ Of t. case justify departure nom usage 80
Ar ~ 10 pa,iso lie report. rot donhung hu' tna'
qhe (ioy 9rmeut will approve OF he motives winch
OJO }. PILLOW. BrigadieT- General
ColumBlA Tenn., Feb. II. lst+.
Tag Ca sEScx DsEscz A''',,e, AZ ..an' mo
q. ttos,,.dtc Fort Doneson ana TAKE cOmnaud OF
ahat pos On the nth inst. arrived at that place.
H. ae,s ling tie Operations - lie force unoef MY
ro,naad Ia Fort Done!-,n, Il Is prcI e. 10 stlte he
roulia On of that work and OF the forces constituting
ITS -, ,ison When | arrived. iound The WORK Oh
thor yer bsitey nnfniste- and euilrel! 100 weak
TO -. i The 0lce 81 heavy artillery. found ~,
i4Cn eOiruJhiad apG - iNuhl I4leu gun 'iiH' N''
.uf teen mounted. 3,
Uceu Gloon. Wa, har.irg over the command, ana
tl.qroons were greatly depressed and demoraiized
tv the ei.eln..5 auces attending The sufrehder u
Iorr Henry and the manner OF reJting tom ioaL
rase a'y trst attention was give. 10 the necessary
81 strength eniig tLis work, and mounting uo 40
heavy guns, aud 70 the construction OF deieh-Ne
works 20 protect tie rear OF TIE nYer hh'trF. =
.s.eoa.tsl 10 the VOL alt the energy which 1t was
s,,.-ibe 10 60, working cay AID night win me Whole
command. The battery Was without competent
number 0f arilleiists, end those thai were tAeie
veIe not well instructed IN Inc u.e OF tne1r guns
fOfTDNias .
tsniss under active cOIfso % instruction III tie use
at thelr 2uus saet,iiel Capt. Rose, with Lie CON-
lary Of aIuilersis 20 tho oonlmaI0 OF one OF tiit
iiver ba cries. These heavy guus beng mounted
.nd crov..lon made icr working them, and proper
SAMMY Of Ammunition having been procured hy my
arde- from Nashville felt myself prepared TO to't
she effect cf q tre o. me heavy mc,al a9thns' t9e
.nemy's Gunboais, though Tie woIk war Mneh IN
need Of more lies ~ pieces.
Size armament of ne batteries eousisied OF oight
:poauders three &-pouad oa'ronade'' one S-incl
ellrbiai, and one MED gun o. S--lonno 'ahoeF'
The e.saJiOn If tie site tOr tue Work was an un-
fori;,n,te one. While JIG command OF the riyer AZ
favorable, iha site wa commanded - Tie lights
s,ove and below on the river, and by d continuous
,rny.. oF hills all around tbe works 10 rs rear.
: field work OF very contracted Dimensions had
been constructed for Tue gaIJi Oh 60 protect The
battery, bat this field work was commanded by Tie
bills already referred TO- snd ley open to a fire Of
artillery from every direction except from the bills
bvlow 10 guard agiiasr Tie eject Of Ere Of artillery
frnn thte. bghis. a hoe OF decnNe work, consisting
OF riCe lts aud abat for iaautTy. detached Oh onl
s,gtt bus continuous Oh our let with deienses Tor
or lzht artillery. were lsid of b. Ialor Giiner,
- E.ginecr Of Get 4. s. JOhn,tOls sisr, but on duty
with NE n tie gosi, around the Tcr Of the battery
sd on tie t.,his froiG wiCh artillery could reach
~ or battery AID inner ieij wOik. e,re.oplg the
iuner work aad the town OF Dover. where pIin-
sai SUPP her Of qlagtenasier and commits aly stores
wsra deToiJ
These worts, pushed with the utmost possible
eue. " were uot quite completed, nor my troops all
"a Do Won, trough nearly so, when Brle.-Gen
ersl floyd nv seuior officer, reached that sia
si,D Tie works were laid OIL with judgment siic
ssl BY Major Giiner, were Wen executed, ana DC
.nod for the defence OF the rear o. the works th'
ONLY objection being TO the length Ct the ne, hich
however from the surroundings was unsyod.bie
Ile Length Of the line, and the inadequscy OF th'
fo.ce for is defense, was source Of embsIiass
ueni throughout the struggle which subsequently
f,isued iu the dDfense o. the position.
he'd placed Brig Gen. Buokner in command OF
H., righf wing, and Brig. -Gen. johnson III command
a.. It Itx.x AH..ln ltnrr0 NE lsa
barely goi the works in defenGble condition when
-,he enemy ID AIDE an advance in force around and
against the entire line OF our outer works.
THE BATTLE OF THE TRENCHES
The frat assault commenced by the eneny's
artillery against the entire line Of our left wing,
which promptly responded to by Capt. Green's
Battery Of Field Artillery. After several hours of
firing between the artillery Of the two armies, the
snenys infantry advanced to the conflict all along
the line, which kept up and increased in volume
from one end of the line to the other for several
hours when at last the enemy made vigorous as
SAUL against the right Of our left wngthe position
assaulted being hight commanded by Col. IIeiman
and defended by his brigade, consisting Of the 10th
Tennessee, under command of Lieut.-C Col. Mc(;sv-
eck, Col Voorhees, Tenn, Col Hughess (Ala.),
and Col Heads Tenn regiments of Tennessee
Volunteers. and Capt. Maneys Field Battery.
This assault was vigorously made, and the position
% Vigorously defended and resulted in the repulse
OF iae enemy here and everywhere around the line.
The result Of the days work pretty we'll tested the
4f~ngth OF our defensive npeB ana established, De-
you'd question, the galsntry Of our entire command,
I'll Of which defended well their portion Of the line
The loss sustained by forces in this engagement
was not large our men being mostly under shelter of
the rifepits; but we, nevertheless had quite num-
oer killed and wounded, but owing TO the continued
lighting which followed, it was impossible to get
any official report Of the casualties of the day. On
enc same day our battery on the river was engaged
with one Of the enemy's gunboats which occasoiIed
quite lively cannonading for more than an bour in
which the gallant Capt. Dixon, of the engineer
corps. was killed instantly at the battery This Off
Ger had been on duty for some months at the post.
and had shown great energy and professional skill
and by his gallant bearing on that day, while direct
ing the operations Of the day, under my orders bsd
justly earned for himself high distinction. His
death was serious loss to the service, and was a
source Of no little embarrassment in our after opera
tom.
On the 10Th we had quiet, but we saw the smoke
81 large number OF guDboats and steamboats, at a
Short distance below. We also received trust worthy
Information Of the arrival Of large number of new
troops greatly increasing the strength of the enemys
forces, already said TO be from 10 600 to 80, 900
THE BATTLE WITH THE GUNBOATs.
on Tue i1!h these requirements were seen cd.
Vaneng 10 Their position in the line of investment;
ana "mle TINS was being DONE six Of the enemy's
non-cased gunooats were SEEM advancing UP the
river, five of which were abreast and in line of hat
We, and inc sixth some distance to the rear Wben
the gunboas arrived within mile and a half of the
battery, they openedlfre on the batteries. /
MY orders TO the officers, Capts Sbuster and
Staukvoitch, who commanded the lower battery, of
eight guns, and Capt. Ross, the upper battery, Of
four guns, were to hold their fire until the enemy.
gunboat should come within point blank range Of
their guns This they did, though the order of hold.
ing their fre while the enemys shot and shell fe,
thick around their position was severe restraint
upon Their patriotic impulses. But, nevertheless our