Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-19
LATEST NEWS.
The Battle at Fort Donelson.
THE TERRIBLE CONFLICT OF SAT-
URDAY.
ny TELBGRAPH
TO the WORCESTER DAILY SPY


eighth, twentieth and thirty first Illinois occu
pied position above the fort. They were
about preparing little food when the rebels
opened on them fire of musketry. A line
of battle was at once formed and a storm of
leaden hail was returned, perceptiby thinning
the rebels ranks. The rebels from their ad
vantageous positions showered upon our ranks
most murderOus volleys of musketry, grape,
and canister, killing and wounding our men
almost by companies at every round. Yet
every man stood his ground bravely without
finching.
These four regiments held their ground
dealing death, dying and fighting against
appalling odds, and in the face of every disad
vantage. The eighteenth regiment seems to
have resisted the severest storm. Against
their ranks the rebels directed their heaviest
fire, but instead of falling back, the regiment
advanced to the very face of the enemy, and
there stood in the very jaws of death, with
scarcely prospect that single one would
escape. For three hours these regiments.
numbering 5000 men, held their ground
against the whole rebel garrison. AT one time
the eighteenth being partially fanked, was ex-
posed to a cross fire of both musketry and ar
tillery, but our right wing securing the rebels
left, at once relieved them.
AT this critical moment Colonel Lawler fell.
Capt. Bush, acting lieutenant colonel, assumed
command, but was soon wounded Captain
Cruise was shot dead Captain Lawler was
MORALLY wounded. Lieuts. Mansford and
Thompson were killed. Capts. Dillon and
Wilson, and Lieuts Kelly and Scanlon, were
wounded, so that this daring Egyptian reg.
ment stood before an overwhelming foe almost
without officers. They fell in heaps of dead
and wounded. Companies were bereft of cap
tains and lieutenanls-captans were almost
bereft of companies.
The other three regiments did their duty
nobly. Coils. Oglesby, Marsh, and Logan,
dashed along the ranks, waving their hats
and cheering their men to the conflict. "Suf
fer death, men," cried Logan, "but disgrace
never! Stand firm !" And well they needed
him. Many fell dead and wounded Among
the latter were Col. Logan and Lieut.. Col
White. Coils. Ogesby's and Marsh's regi
ments fought des perately, losing, like other
regiments, an undue proportion of officers.
Col. Oglesby displayed cooness and courage
that have elected the highest praise and
served well in stimulating his m en-.
Never, perhaps, on the American continent,
has more bloody battle been fought An of.
ficer who participated, and was wounded in the
fight, says the scene beggars descrip ton. So
thicky was the battle field strewn with dead
and wounded, that he could have ira versed
across it, taking almost every step upon
PROSTATE body. The rebels fought with DIES
peration, their artierists using their pieces
with most fearful effect. On either side could
be heard the voices of those in command cheer.
ing on their men. The four Illinois regiments
held their ground full three hours Nearly
one third were killed or wounded yet the bal
ance stood firm. Finally achievements ar
rived, and for an hour the slaughter continued:
About four O'Clock our right wing turned
their lett and the rebels fell back into the
Notifications, and our flag was planted upon
the position occupied by their left wing, and
for the time the slaughter ceased. Dresser's
and Schwartz's batteries were captured DUR
ing the action, but the eighteenth Illinois,
with dubbed muskets, recovered Dresser's,
while the thirty first recovered Schwartz's.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18-The Republican s
Fort Donelson correspondent gives the fol
lowing account of the fighting on Saturday
Yesterday morning just at daylight heavy
sortie was made by the garrison from the left
portion of their works. This attack was
made upon tile extreme right wing of the
Union army where it was that part of Gen.
Netherlands division, under Col Oglesby,
consisting of his brigade, which was stationed
there, and Schwartz's and McAlsters batter.
les. The point was upon ridge leading into
the right redoubt, and was situated just above
the main fort. During the night the enemy
could be heard busily at work, but at what it
was impossible to tell as the thicket and
woods encompassed the Union troops on eve
~ side, rendering the view in every direction
almost impossible.
AT daylight a large body of the enemy sud-
denly appeared on the extreme right wing of
Col. Oglesbys command, and opened terri,
BILE fire, with the cannon from their redoubts
playing at the same time upon our forces from
guns placed in position on the night previous.
The camp of the twenty ninth and thirty.
first was most exposed, and the whole brigade
was at once formed into line as follows The
eighteenth Illinois held the extreme right, the
eight Illinois was next, the thirteenth Illinois,
next, and then the 18th Illinois supporting the
right of Capt. Schwartz's battery, the thirty
first Illinois defending the artillery on the
left
From the firing of the first guns until nine
o'clock the battle ragged unremittingly and with
fearful loss on both sides. Again and again
our troops drove tie enemy back, but they
were often reinforced, while our troops had,
owing to the extended lines of the army, and
also their position on the extreme right, to
fight unassisted. More gallant fighting never
took place, than that OF the Union troops Elk
posed to the terrible firing of triple their NUM-
ber,, they stood their ground until in some reg
iments every officer was killed or wounded
AT last and reluctantly, regiment by regiment
they slowly fall back leaving Schwartzs's bat
terry and three of McAllister's guns in the
rebels hands
Retiring few hundred yards, they all then
made charge, and Gen. Smith arrived with
reinforcements, and at once drove the enemy
again into their works. In the first of the bat
tie was also Col. w. II. L. Wallaces brigade,
the eleventh, twentieth, seventeenth, and forty
eighth also Col. McArthuI's brigade, all of
which troops suffered severely Opposed to
them were 10000 rebels, supported by guns
placed carefully in position. General Grant,
having command of the division, drove them
hack with reinforcements, and gained the lost
ground.
Smith on the left and charging under hot
fire up the steep hill on which was the outer
redoubt, our troops gained the high breast
works and, with hardly pause, went over
them, planting the stars and stripes over the
walls under a most calling fire. They form.
ed, charged, and drove the rebels back until
they fell into q new position behind some
batteries, when evening came upon the battle.
Our troops had gained back the ground lost
in the morning, and got within one part OF
the enemy's works. Our troops held their
position during the night repelling the re-
peated assaults.
xxxvIIth CONGRESS-FIrSt Session.
SENATE