Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-13
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CANP MAR MURFREEsBIRo', !
February q, 1862. I
Gea,ra! A. s. JJhnstoa

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CANP MAR MURFREEsBlRo',
February q, 1862.
6sasra! A. s. JJhnst2a:
SIs-Your order Of the l2.h of this month, trans
m,ted to by telegraph from Bowling G.een 70 Cum
bsraLd City, reached me the same evening Il directed
to repair at once, with what force could command
70 the support Of the garrison at Fort Donclson i'm
metiste pref arod for my dparure, aud cted It in
lime 10 reach Eort Donelson tie next mcruing Is h.
before daylight Measures had already been taken by
Brgadier q neral Pillow, then in command 20 render
our TO The tack Of the enemy as eaeoive as
possible He had, with activity and industry, pushed
forwaId the d feusve works towards conp ton These
iefelces consisted in earhSotk IL Fort Doneson in
which were mounted guns OF diT rent -llure TO the
oumoer Of thf,eeu lald No'k, intended for the in
family llpprt and constructed Immediately behind the
battery and upon the summit Of the bill in rear -
Sac, ping away from this field work eastward to the C1
tent OF nearly two mil,s In its Wndings, line OF
eutrsuchments defended tAo Outside al ponis
aith Gbats These entertainments w6i5 ocGulie1
by the troops already there. ard By the sd iidon
Of those which cste Lpou the field with me, The
posioa OF The torn which was established BY
the Tennessee CuthOTitiCs was by means COM
maniuR, tie lsss. military significance
attached to the position. The enreuchmeut', r.
syrWlrds hastily made in many places il iudcious
ly constructed cause OF the tsance tseJ nere placed
from the brow Of The hil sui cirg he men TO heavy
c !Cm the elemys sIAtp shoot rs opposite, o. they
sf my srdVsl the en.reucSlen we're July occrpid
rom one end 10 The Ohcr jus. as The rose Tie
clurou.js ron one OF the on-my's gp.boa's announced
ne OPP MI OF The cs' ac Sl.h destined %
liage for hue tays and lsuts laa very shr tiGe 10
ire became general s,eag cur whole lines, gld tie
enemy uuo had already plated batteries a. s. yeIal
points sTou21 nc Eholo circuit Of cur enrenchm nts
is shown by q diagram herewith scut arened gan'rl
nd ac!iv ne from AZ s,as upon tstp:hgs, which
,1D.iausd uut darkness p4. a. end 20 the corAc.-
rHey charged si.h uac-4uon -firi, a. several port
l5rg the line, bH most particularly al point uudc
'end, d by eu TeLcdmeut, down hOlog ~bi0h sepsr.
tt5d the gighi wing under Dagader q neral Blckn,r
tie right OF the centre, command, by Ool Hinan.
Cis charge pros. cu.C1 si.h uncommon vgOr, but
w.s met with determined spirit Of resistance, cool
iiberate oou.ags, bo.h hy tie ..oaps OF big Gen,r
Blckuer auS Get. ntn,u hci drove the enemy, d g.
d, uE:ed aud c4l 10 yeecS back upon The position he
had assumed in tie morliCg. Ts1 h,gh pTais' canro
De .siOsed gaCn .c os,fy OF Captain Porter for
part cpAion 10 the OF the enemy in this assault
n position a Immediately ~ front Of the pOilt of a.
.ck, scd vas hus enabled 70 witness more distinctly
,hy ileteris u Il.
The sagmy continued their FIRE upon III rent paris
Of our eptreLchments throughout the nigh, which de-
ohved our men OF every opportunity OF sleep. We lay
cat night up,l arms in the trenches. We couf
ieutly expected at the dawn of day. a ware vigorous
attack than ever. Bus Ia tGil 20 we're entirely ms,a.
Ken. Tho iAy cd dsaneei, and preparation seemed
b. making for general onset. But extremely rn-
noying fire k,pi up f,om tue enemy@ shooters
throughout the whole length OF the eutrei chmen,s,
from Iaer long range rs. Whilst thi9 node Of at.
tack not attended with aQJ considerable loss il
nevertheless cotGnCd the sn to their trenches and pre-.
vented their sking their usual resi so stood the az
fairs oil the L until o'clock, p H., when the feet OF
gunbOatg in full force, advanced upon the fort and
opened fire. They advanced Ia the shape OF crescent
GeyJ up constant Aad iCcssssnt Ire for one hour
,nd half, which was repSd TO with uncommon spirit
and vigor hy ths fort y" Olce the boats r, ached
point within few hundred yards Of the fort"
It which time it was that three of their boats ~
Iained serious / Iries from our batteries, and were
compelled to All back. Toe line was bro
ken, and tAe eaemy discounted on the water,
giving up the fght entirely, which he never af
CrWaIds renewed. ! satisfied, from the
mel iens OF the last two days, that the enemy
did 10. intend again to give battle in our trenches
they had been iiry repused with very heavy saugh.
er upon every effort 10 position aud il was
tir to infer that they would not again the
aysiIing attempt at our dilodgment, when certain
means TO tG Ct the end without oss were perfectly
aJ ih.ir command. We we're aware Of the fact that
extremely heavy reiniorcCments lad beGn continually
arriving day and night for three days and nights and
had no doubt whatever that their Whos available CICe
the western waers could aud would, be conoeLtR-
I'd hCTe II il deemed nee ssuy TO reduce cur po-
-On. had already the mpOssbliy OF holding out
tr any length Of time with our Inadequate number and
ndefeusible position There no place within
tery from their boats or their batteries. IL but
ar 10 lnlyr thai while they kept up sufficient flee up
o. entertainments 10 keep men from sleep and
prevent repoe their o. ct merely u give time to
pass column above " le river, both on the right
and left badkp and thus TO cut CI al communica.
tons and TO prevent the possibility Of egress. thus
aw clearly that but course lefs by which
rational hope could be entertained, OF saving
the garrison, or part lf L Tia. was 10
dso5ge tho enemy from his position on our
Sit and thus to pass people nto tho open c0un.
try lying southwark towards Nashville | called for
consultation OF the officers OF divisions and brigades 20
take place after dark, when this plan was laid fore
them approved and adopted, and which il was deter
mined from the trenches at early hou- the
xt morning and attack the enemy in his POE ton. II
was agreed that the attack shouil commence on
Left and this dgiy assigned BHgaiierGsnera
Pl low, assisted by RrgadisrGsncral JohnsJn, having
tl-o under bis command commanders oi brigades, Col
BldEiD commanding Mississippi aud Teuuc see troops
aud Col. Wharton and Col hoOsVsland, commanding
Yi'ginars. To Brigat;sEGeneral BucHner assigned
che duty Of making the at'sck from the cente Of
our liLes upon the enemy's forces, upon the Wynns
Ferry road The alta OF the left was delayed longer
than expected, and consequently the enemy found
10 position whoa our troops advanced The attack how
ever on part extremely spirited and although
Jhe resistance oi the enemy Was obstinate, and their
lumbtTs far exceeded ours, our people succeeded in
irving them dscouf aud terribly to pieces from
th entire l. f.. The Kentucky trocp' under Brgadior-
General Buokrer, alvauced from their positi h.hud
the entic mert upon he Wyun's Ferry roid bat not
until ihs er emy had been driven n a srcst measure
fro the position he occupied In he morning,
h,d ordered on the night before The Two regiments
stion,d in IT DJuelsoD to occupy tse trenches We
m