Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-02-21
THE FIGHT AT FORT DoSErso
A special despatch from Fort Dop.l.

The forces were sbOut equal in n,,,L
the rebels had all the advantage Of position -
we'll fortified on two immense hills 20
their fort near the river on a lower piece ~ Wy,
From the foot Of their entertainments "a
and abattis extended up the river behind "a. t'
Of Dover. Their fortinostions on the nd
from the river were at least Jour miles IN I.,-.i
The water battery. in the centre Of tn. f7rtis.-
tions, where il came down 10 the river me-.
niue heavy guns.
Saturday morning just at day light a b.,-
sortie was made by the garrison from N. =!
portion Of their works This attack u.s -
upon the extreme right wing Of the Union -
where il was the weakest. Part of zen. Mo-.
nand's division under Col. Oglesby, was start.
there, also MeAliister's batteries. Th. ~.
was on a road leading into the right redoub, !,
was situated lust above the main fort Durip,,s
night the enemy could be heard busily a, w.,
but at what, il was impossible to tell. thee.
and woods encompassed the Union troops On -7...
side, rendering the view in almost any Iirsrt-.
almost impossible. At day light large BODY \.
TIE enemy suddenly appeared on the s1tf,..
right wing Of Col. Oglesby's command and ore-..
| a terrible ERE Of cannon from their red0ustsr5,-
ing at the same time on our forces from -.
placed in position on the night previous.
The 18th Illinois held the extreme right o..
Illinois next, 18th Illinois next then the -q..
| Illinois supporting the right Of Capt Schva-,..
battery, and the lst defending the artillery r
the left. From the firing Of the hrst Gun. ,.s
battle ragged unremittingly, and with fearful 2
On both sides. gain ami again our tr1Jns f---s
| the enemy back but they were reinforced s1--
va en- every officer was killed or wounded :, a..
and reluctantly, regiment by regiment, tssy.
/ ~ fell back, leaving Schwarfts batteries s-.
/ three cf McAlllster's guus m rebel hands b
firing a few hundred yards they all made 8 stan,
| For three hours these regiments, number,
scarcely 900 men. held their ground agairs, ~
whole rebel garrison. At one time the 18th
uois wis exposed o. q cross ere Of both mgsss.--
and artiI lcry, but cur right wing engagia, {.
REBEL left, at once relieved them Of -his -s
| FIRE.
Captain Bush. acting Lieut.. Colonel, asa.
/ conn and but was soon wounded. Capt On
/ was shot dead, Capt Lawless was MORALLY
/ ded, Licuts. Monsford end Thompson were
| Capts. Dillon and Wilson and Lieuts. kels- b.
/ Scan0n were wounded. 50 that the daril- E---
/ tian regiment stood before an overWheluIug Z.
almost without officers. They fell in heaps ...
/ and wounded.
The other three regiments did their Iu,vsrg.
Coils. Oslesby, Marsh and Logan dashed along +.
| ranks waving their hats and cheering their -.
TO the conflict. Suffer death, men % cried Lo,,-
! "but disgrace never, stand firm - and well e.
needed him. Many fell dead and vouais5 =
| Among the latter were Col. Logan and Lieu. c.
| White.
O-f-eUt anu AdIdA1 ENElAelt Lll=lf
| perately, losing like other regiments, 81 s,s.-
| proportion Of officers Col. Oglesby disrIsv..
GOODNESS and courage that have ELECTED the h,-.
est praise, and served we'll in stimulating
men.
Il was impossible to traverse the Erouud W.T.
/ out treading at almost every step upon prl.-r..
body. The rebels fought with desperation, ,,,,
artilleris using their pieces with most .sarf- e.
feet On either side could be heard the voice.
! sE In l7~ha hafr
The object Of the rebels was evidently Q, q,
their way through our troops
As soon as the division, which had s.o1. o.
ground manfully for three hours, retired q.
| enemy occupied the field, when Gen. Crs-t --
sred Gen. smith to move forvsr bis l.-ls
and storm the &c emy's works or the lsft
This order was obeyed with great ala-ri.- Sc.
soon the echoes Of our dsring soliis-y ~
heard, and the oil Tag displayed from ~.
the enemy's entertainments.
General Grant then sent word 10 Gsrs-s! I-
| Clernand and General Wallace that Gen. s..
was within the enemy's entrenchmsnts. o-ig--,
/ their forces 70 move forward and renew der
tack % the right. One Of General WslIs,
/ brigsdss-the Eleventh Indiana, Eighth M.s---
I anu some Ohio regiments-wers rapidly t,-T-
into position, and Company A, Of he C-a-
| Light Artillery, vas planted in the road, l-.H
the rebels, suppOsing we were in retreatos1s r.
I ling out Of their works into the road, he G.
I eago boys poured a hail storm Of grape sd --
lister into their ranks, slaughtering dotsr'
/ them.
I simultaneously with this the infantry en-
menced firing at will, and the rebels Esai ?;
| NELL back into their works, our men sdTs1e--.
and taking possession Of the ground lost, an
I hill besides. Fresh troops, who had rot oss-
I the action, were then thrown forward, and Il -s
| shades u night drew on, were in strors l-s
| ti0n 10 participate in a Simultaneous attsek d p
made on Sunday morning.
General Oglesby, o. Wallace and Nc Ar
D.. brisades did the hardest fighting, and have
fered terribly. They would undoubtedly ,ir
l held their first position but for the fliz-s
| their ammunition. The ammunition =s-71s E-r.
some distance Of, the hills preventing mex r.a-
moved
| During Saturday night a contraction Of al -
lines was made for a Simultaneous assault .--
every p0int, and orders we're given BY Gs-s-
| Grant % axe the enemy 81 the point Of the -i-
ouet. Every man was az bis post, The -
seventh Illinois on the extreme right.
At daylight the advance was made, ard r-E
the full light Of day b-oke forth, white tags zs-
hung in many places On the enemys workt
| An officer at a convenient point was ini---s.
/ that they had stacked their arms l-i su-re-lz--.
| early N the m0ru.ng.
/ The following correspondents passed 1s'F--
I the commander
ul-fs -7.-'HzA II YIN 1l-4N-a
HEAD QUARTS, Foar DoyELsoS. Feb. r.. Is
/ SIE-In consideration Of the circumstance =
eruin- the present situation Of Affairs AZ t5ls 90
/ ti1u, pr, pose % the commanding Officer q -'
| fe1cra. forces the appointment Of c0umlssi--'-
| 70 agree upon terms Of capitulation Of the i--
I az this poet under my command. In tl1t ssF
suggest an armistice until II o'clock to-day.
/ am, very respectfully, your obi serv.t,
s. B. BUCsSEE
Brigadier General c. :. A
To Brieadier General L. 5. Grant. eonml1--:
United States forces near Fort Donelsoa.
CIV. GRANTS Reilly TO GEN. sucEyEz
HEADQUARTERs on rHE FE-,
F0ET D0SELs0S, Feb. Is, lse--
T. Ger. y. B. Blel1Gi
SIR-Yours Of this date, proposing
armistice and the appointment Of oOnnisno,r
70 settle on the terms Of equalization, Is Just "
ceivei.
No terms, except unconditional ard imnsta'
surrender, can be accepted.
propose TO move Immediately on your Tors'
am, very respectfully, your obt se:vt,
L. 5. GRAM,
Brigsdier General Commsndi-.
GEN. EucGSER ACcEFrs IHE TERMS AND sUHs,'
pERs.
HEADQUARTERS, DovER, Tenn Feb. Is, -
BrgIdisr Geu,ral, Z. IS. G-a-f, Z. s. A
SiE--lhe distribution OF the forces under =
command. incident to unexpected chang
commanders, and the overwhelming force Il.
your command, compel me, notVithstand-s g
brilliant successes Of the Confederate - 9 -
accept the ungenerous and unchivalrcl' e.
which you propose. / an, sir, your servi1-
:. B. BUCKNER, Brigadisr General, c : !
Orr force was soon in the enemys camp, -
the rebel off GERS gave up their swords.
General Pillow and General Floyd hsd Pin1s-
and executed their escape during the nis-
taking with them Floyds brigade snd =
favoritos, occupying what few small seaHs'
they had. The prisoners are loud n toei u
uunciation Of the runaways.
Many Of them acknowledged the hopeie.us
Of their cause. and intimated willingness Us
an oath Of allegiance, ane return to their ao1e
To the question put to an officer as to bow Is!
prisoners we had, he replied. "You have 81 %,
Of $4,000 who were not killed or did not S'al
The composition OF the rebel forces vas as ~
lows;-IennesSee, eleven regiments; Missis'lli-
eight; Texas, one; Kentucky, two ArAan'-
one; Virginia, four; ono battalion Of oa'."!
each from Alabama, Tennessee and MississiPPL
The General johnson taken prisoner IS 0l.-
rcs johnson, bTigadier general from lennsss
A message u the Sanitary Commission. ~
Cairo, says that there are three hundred SUE
SIX hundred wounded and one hundred missins