Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-02-21

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the rebels in the fort denounced HIS as a
blaok-hearted traitor AMI coward.
The enemy WAS known to have 80, eco
troops, Is, 600 of whom are our prisonerp
5000 escaped. and the balance are report
ed killed, wounded or otherwise disabled.
Our loss IS moi stated, but the slaughter
in eur ranks is mentioned as being terribly
Chicago Feb 1.-THE Times Fort
Donelson says: The forces were abeut
equal in numbers, and the rebels had all
the advantages Of position, being we'll ferti-
fed on two immense hills, with their fort
near the river On lower piece Ct ground.
From their iatrenchments rife-pits and
abattis extended on the river behind the
town of Dover.
Their Notifications ca the land side,
back from the river, were al least four
miles in length. Their water battery ia
the centre Of the Notifications, where it
commanded the river, mounted nine heavy
guns.
The rebels were sure Of success in any
other cause against less brave troops, and
could have held their position against a
hundred thousand.
The business of getting the different
brigades in position, and attaching new ar
rivals to different commands took up the
greater part Of Friday night. At da) light
on Saturday, the enemy opened on the
Eighteenth Illinois, when ali of Oglesby' s
brigade was soon engaged, which was fol-
lowed by Wallace and McArthurs brigades
the latter acting under McClernand. As
the position Of the troops had been chang
ed during the night, and Gen. Grant had
been called away to the gunboats, the
movements of all the troops, except those
under McClernand, were without any other
than general orders.
At suggestion from MoClernand, Con.
Wallace sent up feur regiments to support
his division, who were near out of ammu-
milton.
From the commencement until ten e'cleck
the fighting was terrific.
It was found that the enemy was con-
centratlng his main force to turn out right
which was done by our men getting out of
ammunition, and confusion in getting up
reinforcements cur force retreating about
half mile. a5v l~ .ra
AS soon as the division, which had stood
its ground manfully fer three hours, retir-
ed the enemy occupied the field when Gen.
Grant ordered Gen. Smith to move for
ward his division, and storm the enemy's
works on cur left. This order was obeyed
with alacrity. Soon cheers arose from eur
daring soldiery, and the old flag was dis
played frem within the enemy's entrenoh-
ments.
Grant then sent word to MeClernand
and Wallace that Gen. Smith was within
the enemy's entertainments, and ordering
their forces to move forward to renew the
attack on the right. Gen. Wallace's brig
ade, the Eleventh Indiana, and Eighteenth
with some Ohio regiments, were rapidly
thrown in position, and Co. A. Chicago
Light Artillery was planted in the road
As the rebels, supposing we were on the
retreat, came yelling out Of their works IN
to the road, the Chicago boys poured a
hailstorn Of grape and canister into their
ranks Strengthening dozens of them. Sim
ultaneously with this, the rebels went pell
nell back into their works, our men ad-
vancing and taking possession of the ground
lost and hill besides Fresh troops, who
had not been in the action, were then
thrown forward. Just as the shades of
night drew on we were in strong position
ready to participate i'll Simultaneous :
tack to be made Sunday morning.
Oglesby's yTallace1s and McArthnr's
brigades did the hardest fighting, and have
suffered terribly They would undoubt-
eddy held their first position, but for the
failure Of ammunition. Until ordered to
storm, the ammunition wagons were some
distance from the bills, preventing their
being moved rapidly.
Some Of our best officers and men have
gone to their long home Hardly man
who went over the field after the battle,
did not discover some eomrade who had
fallen. We lost three Lieut.. Colonel5, and
at least one quarter of all the other officers
were Woun9er or killed.
During Saturday night, contraction
of all our lines was made for simultane-
Gus assault from every point, and orders
were given by Gen. Grant to take the
enemy at the point of the bayonet. Every
man was at his post-The Twenty fifth
Illinois on the extreme right
At daylight, an advance was made, and
when the full light Of day broke forth,
white flags were seen hung in many places
en- the enemy's works. An officer at con-
venient point was informed that they had
stacked their arms and surrendered early
in the merning.
Gen. Sherman, at Beaufort, proposes
that the Government shall take charge Of
the plantations coming into its hands, and
shall raise cetton, and employ and pay the
negroes-keeping the latter under strict
but kind discipline Of overseers.
He also proposes that suitable teachers
be provided for the blacks, and that relig-
ious Instructions be given.
A bill, organizing the rebel territory in
to territorial governments on the priuci-
pies of these resolutions, will shortly be re-
reported by the territorial committees of
the two houses
Fortress Monroe, Feb. 13-The gun
boat Stars and Stripes arrived at noon from
the Burnside Expedition, with the bearer
of dispatches for the Government. They
report the rout of the rebels complete
Three Thousand prisoners, and all their
gunboats burned or captured, except tive,