The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-03-12
The Fort Donelson Victory.

Inc Fort DOnelSOn VlCCOry.
Special Correspondence of the N. Y. World }
SIS vs CAIRO, Feb. 20.
l have just held some conversation
with the uuinjured pilot of the ST. Louis.
and ia the identical pilot house into
which came the cruel, crushing shell that
killed the other pilot, aud struck down
the commodore, and broke the wheel 20
smash, and so disabled the flag boat as to
leave it floating at the will of the waves
and to turn the fortunes of the feet,
A person of even infantile Imagination
must be made sick with the scene that it
copjures mp as he stands where did q
half hou. ago. There is the passage
through thirteen inches of wood and one
and quarter of iron that the accurate
death messenger came in at. 1t came at
an angle of almost forty-fve degrees,
which is easily determined by the fracture
on the Flagstaff of the same ball This
fact will carry with it some idea of the
forts elevation and the consequent disad.
vantage that the gnnboats had to strive
against. OF such formidable elevation
was Fort Donelson. But it was the Sec
ond ball that rendered the St. Louis a.
useless for her errand as one of the Brook
lyn ferry boats. 1t struck the edge of q
pilot house sight hole, glanced in, hit the
commodore q second time, passed out on
the opposite side, picked up suspended
life boat in its passage and threw it di.
rectly across the tiller ropes. thus render.
ing the gun boat unmanageable by the
relieving tackle, which was the last hope
of the pilots after the disabling Of the
wheel by the shell, number one. The Sc.
cond ball would have ur doubtedly in.
stantly killed Commodore Foote if it had
not met heavy overcoat hanging against
the wall, and carried that with it, thus
breaking its force and covering its Jagged
nakedness. The commodore's injuries
are few, and shallow bruised shin be-
ing all that is visible He walks with q
crutch, bat expects to dispense with it in
a day or two, and resume his duties, you
know. where. When his craft became un-
manageable and he was compelled to give
orders fo- retreat, the daring and deters
mined man wept, and the begrimed cheeks
of the valiant tars ran with tears also.
Fortunately, when the rudder went be
yond the power of the pilot, it was pre-
cisely straight with the ship. and she
aoated backward with as much skill as il
held by the hand of man.
The flagship got sixty three shells. and
every one of them made more or less
havoc with boat or men. Four out of
the eighteen pilots Of the feet were killed,
And every splinter, and scratch. and scar
bears indisputable testimony to the accu
racy ard cunning with which the rebel
she'll were showered upon our gallant
gunboats If that FIRST fatal ball had
been postponed ten minutes. there is nc
ioubt that the St. Louis would have
been above the fort. where her sagacious
commander was heading for. Aud there
can be little doubt but that Floyd, being
on the extreme left. and seeing the shell
from boats fall SO numerously in The wood
about him, one mile from the fort, con
cluded that the feet was above it. ant
that all was over, and that the only thinl
left for his ruling passion strong il
death was to STEAL away. And be did
1t is the opinion Of the commodore au'
his pilots that the only one person in th
f,rt was killed by the gunboat balls, an
be Dickinson. who planned aud superin
tended the construction OF the fort. Tai
is stoutly contended also by the rebel ol
icers. The gunners were protected by
bomb proof casemate, under which the
could Ere. draw in the piece, re,load, an
all with perfect SAFETY aud security. Th
only considerable mortality from the gur
boats was 10 the shelling of the wood
I behind the fort. One shell went over th
1 fort, and over space of mile and
3 half, and i6to the town of Dover, depri'
! ing lawyer Of his head To say tt
: truth. Fort Donelson must be seen to |
Q appreciated Its formidableness must
/ witnessed to be comprehended. I
height, length, breadth, and expaose, ~
Luc OubttnO VI Ato VI SouSei oSstO
:. you have in numerals and diagram; b
) It's bitches and dimensions. it's ba: teri
. and Tvs batllements. must he booked up Q
+ and down at, in order to get all its cor
u nanding and august appearances. II
nen-of wer's men here, who have be-
e round the world, call it the third best i
stitu,ion of the kind they ever laid ey
)i IN. Il IN p 4pTfIs5A n
'e = The Mr. Lewis. tho proprietor Of I
p Cumberland Rolling Mills that We
p nrned by cur boats, is now here u pr
'' poi,er. He is u person of cOnsiderat
cnl nre and sense, confesses to havi
lie helped on III rehe lion to the extent
as hls vast financial aiility,i but also that
IN like thousands of his cnnntty men, We
* eply deceived in he matter. He Q
+ tanned his inform asiou solely from sou,
is ern newspapers and.secesh spoaters.
had no opportunity of discovering WI
We he now knows to be the geaulue sen
r. ment of ,br North He says: / give
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