Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-03-07
Thc Ba,tfc a, Fort Donsls;oan.

CapCaM Llt.ter company, "a iowa. Inc rev
ter gives the resder q vivid idea Of the man
ner in which the fighting was conducted, as
it narrates the personal experience of Mr.. N.
Ed. journal
FORT DoNELSoN, Feb. q.
OF course you Lave heard all about the
taking of the fort. One trip down the river
was very slow, and up the Ohio and Cumbcr-
land slower yet. We were afraid all the way
that we would not be hero in time for the
show. When we had to stop to wood, the
Colonel and all the officers and soldiers helped
with good will. -.s..,f-ass .'
We left st. Louis Monday evening and got
here at the landing (about miles below
about daylight Friday morning; came out to
within about mile of the fort and stoppcd.-
The sharp shooters were picking the. enemy
off every chance they could get. We could
hear them firing plainly. stood it just as
long as | could and then took my gun and
slipped off ard went out for shot on my own
hook. gotsmong he sharp-shooters, which
were within about three hundred yards of the
trenches, and the space between us and the
cnemy was covered with down timber, cut to
break the ranks of our men in an attack, and
to hinder them from making Il charge with
ba1onet. Well, l got behind u big tree
thought I'd peep out and see ii could dis
cover anything to shoot at, but had not look
ed long when ball came whzzing along to
let me know that was seen by them. | got
behind another tree-kept good watch on
the place the ball came from, which thought
was outside Of the trenches. Pretty soon saw
a black spot move-thought | would shoot
at it for fun, so took good aim and fred
You ought to have seen how quick that chunk
GOT out of that Don't know certain whether
killed him or not, but he didn't get up, but
cot On his knees and climbed over log, which
was the last saw or heard Of him. got
one more shot and went back to the camp;
got there just as they had fallen in to march
up on the hill back of the fort; went up and
our company vas thrown out as skirmiShsrs.
We kept up a sharp fire on them till Lark,
but don't think we did them much harm and
none of us got touched that night, We went
back in tn, woods about half mile, had no
blankets or anything but hard crackers, and
got ready to pass the night as best we might
Il forgot to say there was one inch Of snow
on the ground) We built Zig fires and laid
down around them had not been down long
when bonn came the sound of an old cannon
and down came about Is Of our boys from an
old house that stood close by. They had gone
in there ard built a fire. The light shone
through the window the rebels thought they
would start them, and they did, for the first
shot went went right through the house,
knocked off the hat Of one Of the boys, but
did not hurt any of them, bat gave them one
grand scare, you may bet. .,.......-...
i About 9 o'clock it commenced Snowing.-
You can imagine what kind of humor We
were in, out there by fire without tents or
blankets. We were in good trim for fight
any tiae that night. We got up, or rather
was up. Saturday morning; had not more
than half cracker to the man for breakfast ;
ate IL inc and thought woIld try skrmiSh-
ing again; went over to the edge Of the tim
Der bat did not see anything TO shoot u, but
could hear men fighting on Our right flank
very hard. Start=d down but stopped for
fear orr reg: nent would be called out and
not there SO | missed that fight expect it
was we'll enough went back to our camp
and we sat around till after noon, then Capt
told US to be ready TO fall in at a moments
notice That began to look like it. At p
the left wing formed in line Of battle, and
started for the trenches, with orders not to
fire shot till we got inside. When we got
within about 200 yards you could see their
: heads thick peaking over the breast works.
Then we had a ravnc to cross, which kept
us out Of sight till we cane up within about
rs yards, at the loot OF very steep hill with
timber cut every way to bother us. The en-
envy did not fire shot till we got within
about so yards, then they opened on US, but
, it did not have the effect they intended it
should; it did not check us bit. Those
that were Tot shot down set up cheer and
started on a run for the trenches AS fer me
; held my head as low as possible and run
my best (they were shooting high) until
cot within about ten feet Of the ditch, when
I saw man stick his gun under the log, (they
had land logs on top Of the breast works with
Just room to shoot under.) saw him Just
: about to shoot; | thought l was just about
as sure of him as if was inside, so blazed
away at him. He went out Ct sight, and I
jumped into the ditch and loaded. When |
got loaded and over there was good many
: ahead of me. The first shot got inside was
at fellow in buttornut clothes who slipped
out from behind tree about 80 yards off and
i, was going to shoot at one of our boys. l
was Just about to pull when another one
: stepped out to shoot over his shoul-
der, l let fly at him and one OF them
went down; the other turned, went about
three steps and fell also. After that do
not know where shct, only d d not shoot
without seeing man and shot about twenty
shots. | took enc prisoner. He was hid in
f lot of brush. had got clear past him, but
, happened to see him raise on his knees to
shoot. ] was just about ten PAGES from him
10 Jerk up my gun and draw bead on him
was my first thought, and you may bet it did
not take long. lie saw it was all day with
: hin, so he threw down his gun and asked me
rot to shoot him and Of course did not.
After gave him up to one of the officers,
went on up the hill and commenced bush.
! whacking-that was, to hide behind logs
stumps or trees and shoot, as opportunity Of
fered. While l was behind stump loading
some fellow shot from our left and hit me in
the side 1t knocked me down, but jumped
up, felt for the hole in my coat, could moi
find it, so thought that it was spent ball that
hit me; so l kept on loading and shooting
The SD Indiana Regiment came up behind
US and commenced firing right into US. Then
we got orders to fall back to the trenches 1--WE
were almost to the inner work. As we went
/ back the balls fell SO fast that you would
have thought the ground was alive and crawl.
ing. AS we went behind the trenches, Gen.
Smith told those Indiana boys he was asham
ed of them, and that if he hsd had another
regiment like the Iowa boys he would have
taken the enemy's works. Our right wing
was 800 yards behind, and did net suffer
much. The General said nc never saw such
q charge in his life. When they surrendered
some of the other regiments were going to
march ia first and he stopped them and had
us go in and plant the colors on tho Fort
first, and had them gives US three cheers.
| W. A. NICHOLS.