The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-03-24
Letter frsm Fl. Denelsen.
FoRT DoNELsoN TENN
March q 1890


Letter frsm Fl. Denelssn. (
FoRT DoNELsoN Tamil
March 8, 1862.
Mr.. EDITOR We have, with rever
entail tread, just walked over the broad
battle-6elds Of Fort Donelson, stained with
the blood OF our heroes, and sacred to
American history, as marking the site Of
the bloodiest battle ever fought on the
Western Continent, in defense of civil lib
srty.
The ground is still strewn with cloth
ing. spoiled provisions, camp equipage,
ETC., presenting most melancholy pic
turc Of the fierce and bloody struggle be-
tween the two contending forces. Ra.
there was nothing, amidst all the eviden-
ces Of human suffering, that thrilled US
with SO much horror as the sight Of the
dungeon, into which our wounded, cap
tured during the engagement, were thrust,
and where, in heaps, they died from neg
lect and suffocation.
Cropping our way through a dark pass.
age, clogged with filth and filed with va
por, we reached room about twenty feet
square, dimly lighted by small, high, iron
grated windows. There, in this dungeon,
our wounded were packed in heaps, like
slaughtered hogs and here after days Of
suffering, scores Of them died from neglect.
A thrill of horror crept through every
vein, as our feet touched that blood stained
floor, and feeling Of revenge shot like
FIRE through every avenue of our being,
as we rushed from that dark aud loath
some place. We can look with calmness
upon the graves where our heroes sleep
in peace, but to visit the places where
they have suffered such vandalism, fires
US with revenge
Many persons are here from the sur.
rounding country, in search of trophies.
We. too, looked around for some meinen-
to to bear away with US. Guns, swords,
knives, bullets, etc, we're to be obtained
10 abundance, but "being Of literary
turn Of mind" and having but little fan
cy for deadly weapons, We visited de
serted secesh law ofice,-rich with an
Gent records, and therefrom selected som,
books and papers, valuable for their in
trinsic worth. and for their antiquity
Some of the papers date back as far a
1903, and the books selected are record
Of the first sessions Of the q. s. Senat.
and Congress, and were once the propert!
of Dairy Crockett.
There are but few troops here now; only
sufficient number to garrison the Fort, tn
main body Of our army being ordered t
Fort Henry, where Gen. Grant is concen
tratiDg large force with view to u
expedition up the Tennessee river.
Il A large number Of the sick and wound
ed are here, but the boat bringing us U
> will, on her return, take them to the Pr
. dncah and Mound City hospitals.
The g. w. Graham, the boat on whic
) we were travelling, is the first boat pei
; mitted to pass up the Cumberland rive
i with freight and passengers.
: We leave this afternoon for Nashville
The land force, which is to co-operat
with the ganboats, has not yet arrived, b.
: is hourly expected. They will, however
have to contend with q very large Ian
! force Of the enemy. and We are awaitin
1 with great deal Of anxiety the result.
8 There are three large armies South an
i Southeast Of this place, on the three se'
: eral rivers, Mississippi, Tennessee an
: Cumberland.
General Buel's Division Is at Nashville
! What movements they are going to NAL
has not yet transpirsd.
Il They have been engaged for some tin
past in guarding the property Of the .
cessionists, while many of them sing til
pathetic chorus
II you want 70 get 70 Heaven,
Kill the Ltnsoinitss,
@ Kill the LincolnitAs,
ri XIII the IAncolnitss;
II you want 70 get to Heaven,
Kill the Linnolnises,