, 1862-03-11
The. Fort Donelson.
eENERAIl5w. u.sL. WALLAcE's
L. M BRMADE. ~* ::
brilliant &peeds:efi Illinois Troops
..n.'t. - -
OFFICIAL REP0nT.: - ). !.

pr'.'tant|o lt:!!': 1l''no'. Troops:
= *orE1o1l.aL nEponT:,:= =.
HEADQUARTERS, 70 Bn1eAps. 1sr Drz1so4f,j I
r. United States . Adyaace @ Fnse9s: s"7
Nat N. Braymau, Assistant Adjutant General lat |
S1R: I haye the honoE to submit the follow +
ing report Of the operations Of my Brigade, |
from the time Of leaving Fort Henry, on: the
11th inst, up to the 18th inst, when the Fed:
ers! 1o5ces entered this 1o5titiea
8. Grant, commanding the District Of Cairo:
consisted Of the 11th Illinois Infantry, Lieut.
Col. 7. E.-G. Ransom commanding; the 209h
Illinois Infantry, Col. G. C. Marsh command- |
lng; the 18th Illinois Infantry. Gel John 2.
tr3, Col. j. n. Hayaie commandmg; the 4th !
Illinois Cavalry, Col T. Lyle DIckey com |
manding; Capt. Ezra Taylor's Chicago. Light |
Battery "B's. Qst Illinois Artillery, -four |
6-pounder field guns and tEo 2-Pon1dsr how;
three 54pounder hoWitze1s list Illinois Artil- /,
1etY); the whole constituting the "a Brigade |
of the LIST Division. commanded by Brig. Gen. |
John 4. McCleEnand, and containing about
3,400 effective men Of all arms.
About noon Of the 18th inst, while in camp
at Fort Heury, received orders from Gen.
McCle1nand to put the infantry and artillery
Of my brigade on the march and move out
three or four miles on the telegraph road
towards this place. At o'clock. P: m.,- the
forces designated marched out and eneamped
sunrise on the next day (the 18th inst.) was
Joined BY Col Dlcke7's Cavalry, and marched
:: with my whole command by the telegraph
road towards Fort Donstson, keeping mp ffe-
gne4t communication with Col Vgieeoys
lst BI,gade' M5Ea IVA vas nn3 m9371ng :s az tne sane
time BY me ngn5 roao,. Gol: DlckeJs caealry
reconno1serang INC coanIlF as me ieoaama
marched. soon ater noon ! came Wlthln aigat
o. ne enemy.s eneampmenIs ea 90 me opposIle
q .ae @ crsehs ~ aoous M1le a fas u aaxancs;
Hasng eansea lne Loaa 10 95 rsconnolteIea
back water from TIE e Gumher1and, ! moved to
the tgnt, np tns Gleek, aug enssteo 1nncl1on
: villa Cot ogleSny,s o11eaat IN ae1o" grounds
W.T. W.. q rolI Doheson, "nea 5 aeary ~ ~ Wooasa
nnsit;nn n5 RHex " ca2aIe adp ts ensm
% ti,roEn forward and occupied tie 1,eiphts Ell d md
thnronah19 acnotad 49, raoonna;tssad ~ 4ha 4ha
eronnds J., f1ant IN GsiaaSHss bs;,,ade ade
6,traS q, tbo Vni1.oaJ - ~ 61;+, - u
mone1eaIP sb;1a IT, nv 5o;t.a,o ~ I ~
front +he hefat5s drarSnor tSa ~ 10
~ tba etea.' ToGied hi1s fa. ~ f..ha. ~ ~
eannoiterinF. the brigade adTanced and ~ occn.
R.vs notifications. With IT. rist rest;nr | ~
the left az ri 0oleshv,s hr;aaas snna sY;,rh4 ~
alfr1n;shinT % ncc7,7rea Ho1, ~ nf.sr sS .ast;
this position for an honr Or % 1nnre and farfi,er
reronno3ter;nr. In acrnrdanr1s 1v9fh thn n,;sars
Of General MeCiernand moved d the lei bripnie 5 g
Nv fhe rierht fanS fn1,ouino a., " ng1ceIH;s
hIion1a aSTnss tha va1iav owo-ae 49, ~ IN =
ri Ihe eneny's 1nsitinn ~ ria +;n,a ~ ;t
vas dark and Gol 0g1fsh1,s hr;o,dc te; he;;nor ~
involved in oronnd vh7ch GSs5 0.Irse n13
b;i1V lana cn1ere3 with da,ua vac era,ti ,etg
nf nn3ndcr hrusb Twas ordared % hvtha f5eo",ai
x,1.,as,as,.,r ~ ~ D;;es,. - ~ ~
s;t;n M ~ est s ~ ~ vs1iav vi .1h; ~ 14e Rg
moving hv The 1eft fl,nk Vban nv Rr;ra9s
rested Tor The night' At dayIfahf m he nGorr.
;n~ ~ fhe 1s+l +ho anamg Sra,,nd 1 ~ ~ .s,;tt
III ort;i1erv ron The insde Fedeuht e snan M
aftarwnTds hv nrder ~ Ga, NefIa-,,ng ngoi r
1narchad 5he ~ 71fh aot All -an;.,enta er4aua ~
Tarlors BATTERY ia the Ti@ht @ aerl1ss % H. v 1a.
7 1so.;nr u tii,eto. 49, ~
tfs, t pa1sels, snpporled oy
+ha 7'oI1a1 an5 ordarod III =" n;olo a, Ts1 y.
- ,nn1s Z, roa III o1si5
.r5 ~ - .i.I4t - aoa-s.a;t.. =. -
snH ,,J n Da tsoaeS5 su"arus th LIZ, in
,Sa gnpStiAnu ~ an9 posel; - nsnS t4e mgn
Eiuunua ease ~ .ne s.tney, ia}lols oatseIJ
M Maa poe u psttto tb 1ot on 1s M t4a th aa q 70
te' pose5' Mneie tne LII VI INC etnem1s nnes
leelco uen1u eaEtAN or5s-tHtr 49, u! NJ
ette5s Easaa ~ s,loIE aoaels u n9nt. nc a
t Mantc @ lolee s9as,n1eq 70 nofe steaauy TO me
tiiary Of his Briaade and TarIora Bsttery .ug on
l s1n 80 =
.ne .oau' "nne ane tnilty mas u teaI " Ano
ns.a ~ ae a1au. ons in1s . loaa ine aIt1srs ti
'tntnE sts.essisS ps.t posiL1ons ~ a5e
amu hesspug " tbns;,at t esin9unaae ~ i
saIo +oan;,1s+ o1as. ~ ane rn ~ ~ sne
ae ann erSsd feuo1s as1os tna ,e ta ane 1psn
epace; anoteeq nne oppoI5un1ty aof arttnIer3 II ms
plac'lss ~ iong ianSs. aug lne hIe o. lay
tu1 Nv aen utesse guns' "aIiS re
n,,1t ~ 4l.a xars " ~ ~ ~ ~ inft tAe
oonpl anu ane %orhs oa ms leM, presence q.
ul
sefshse, nhcI+ man oe o-aoroa hr n,on,ox
Ago4c ~ ngon 9taa, ".tS ~ o'4slsa " Gen' oleCiel
Gni nSna ~ Gesaen anc j.. foIty'e,gnan M reglmen
NJ. NJ " oYsiale Win tns ees sentseut'
ETlano's, ls1al9r sm.h G1 comm2naing! anq n tn
Forty Illinois, ScoL MoFrlson) OF tl1
thsnss s311s mloase isaonot, On me n1e Wes1 H..
Inc ns;s 'aney' supported oy 1ne IRE OF Mcallls
ter's s ems.
uann an1S 'oree @ mas anaGr % tae command ;91 OF 20
and az ;c 0n arer nes 1o5sa
tervsaing 1ayines, 5..an md mounted t The stee
npun .,o,,"nt lcn .nssc "o1hs @ .Ie nnua1ea,
tne oSs ~ t. e,,. nnnGr ~; ana anoer neaE
thc 1nds ~ uof1y ~ mo 1''e hna Sms postea
ti tue 3,;, 1ss a;rn1 u em9rh. tn aney aasancea
prcslsa1a. pe} ~ ine nne h9t pelsg long enoaS
~ eusel9P 14e ngiAs' ~ 4sueI O. yen. d:
~ H1el"sua, oelacnca tue fort}-nlln Limo
M NJ. snnsnl ~ Inelt euppoFt on tae l1g9
1oe 4St7t+ot '-t@''toes" IL psoAbAAi ot1e
G down NE Slope, acros: the valley, and up IL
Gpposlte steep, WIN shlrnnsnels deploEed
iIonl, anu we're soon warmly engaged. ines
epetat1ons haa gaNe9 1ne enemy llme 70 rev
{ 1ofce th1s poshlon Hlln strong BODIES OF 1nta7
" 1rom LIS reserves IN tne rear, anu hela 2
+ l!ieFy, "h1ch opened 4 destructive hfe on tt
a aaFahc1ne line. ihe toll OF musketry shov
!, ca Inc enemy IN powerful force behind
= eaftn"ofh, notwltnsfand!ng our tore'
= cna1geo salantiy up tae nelgh1s 70 the Te'
1oot o1 tne WoThs, Whicn were rendered lG
p Passlp!e ny the snarp, strong points OF prus
u Woou N "h1c1 u Was nnl1l al Tue rec
!, mens6 engaged III t1ls caring at{enpt saffeTt
+ more Or lees from the enemy's tire. In Il
T., meantIme ne enemy began to show
Nrehglh IN MS entfenchMents N front OF &c
n ogNs1y brigade. SCHWARTZ BaltcTy was
g the Worka, but being without c1nist
y range, they were Withdrawn by Genor
McClcTuand's order and directed Car
>, Taylor to throw forward two sections
Il u his battery to that position. The positi,
= being beyond the reach of my lines, the infa
e try support WAS to be furnished fro
- Col Oglesby's tbr1ga6e, which Was immediat
y IN the rear. These s. etlons took their ?
- sitions under most CALLING fire Of rifles al
!. 1nusketsy from the cnemy's lines The grou,
= was covered with brush, and some time r
: required to put the army in position, and d1
y ing this time the enemy' fire Was very gallin
y and TaJ1ors men suffered somewhat from
ELECTS As soon as lis position Eas game
however, 1he rapid and well. directed fire
the sections soon sileneed the enemy T
coo1ness and daring Of the officers and N
of these sections direct ed by Cant Tay}nr