Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-03-19
I BATTLE or FORT DoNELsoN.

"A correspondent Of the Memphis Appeal, who
gives On account Of the battle of Fort Donelson,
says:
enemy's lines with but ten thousand men in this
condition, having fifty two thousand opposed to US
twelve thousand of whom were fresh trOopslwouid
simply have resulted in the loss Of three ourths Of
the entire command. Had our men been fresh, rand
able to march we might have had some hope of es-
cape; but VIC would have then had the seserest
task 1T aH-narching over frozen roads distance
offorty miles-wth the certainty that ne would ny
the means Of transports land his troops above and
cut off our retreat on GAINESVILLE lean safely say,
from having wakeda part of the way myself that
no portion Of the force couldhave marched ten miles
without being completely exhausted and disabled
The question of surrender resolved itself INTO just
this Shall tho remnant Of this gallant little army,
after deeating the enemy Of the hardest fought oat
Ties in our countrys history and covering itself VITA
glory, be sacrificed to avoid the humiliation Of
surrender?
Gen. Pillow wished to cut his way out, no matter
| what the cost Gen. Floyd, Major Gilner, and all
the balance present, concurred with Gen. Buckner
that no General had right to cause such sacnhce
| And now, upon whom did it devolve to remain
and see that the fornalities of an honorable SUI
render were properly observed? Most assuredly
| upon the chief in command He dreaded the hum
1
among people for whom he had no earthly respect,
! and he passed the command with the understand
| ing that he might remove his brigade and save them
from the same fate he wished himself to avoid.
What then did Gen. Pillow do? He simply pas
sed it to Gen. Buckner, without any provso for his
men, who were willing to have braved the cold
waters of the Cumberland rather than have been
| left Gen. Floyd had two boats on hand for his
troops We were left to SILVER upon the bank while
our Generals way flying in hot haste to a place OF
security And now, why did not Gen. Buckner
pass it to the next in command and make his escape
which he might have done as easily the other two
Generals?
All, them came the time to try ones soull With
heroism and magnanimity unparalleled in any
save the days Of knighty valor, he said: "IwiLt
share the tate ofmy men, They had stood by him
in the hour of battle and he would not desert them
in their time Of adversely. A nober, more self.
sacrificing act has not oeen known since the re-
| nowned heroism Of the Roman youth Scaevola-
| The separation from his wife, children and friends,
probably during the whole of the long to be con-
tinued war-the dread realities of a Northern
4 prison-the consciousness that his own Stat. had
declared it to be felony to be found in arms against
the old Governmental must have been present to
bis mind, and yet he had the moral courage, the
lofty. pure aud noble spirit to brave it ALL and share
the fate Of his command.
When the history Of our revolution is chroncled
there will he many heroic deeds Of our gallant sons
of the South recorded, but there be which
will have deeper impression upon every soldier and
true hearted man. than the surrender of Gen. Buck
ner at Fort Donelson"