The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-02-21
From the Missouri Democrat.
StOrming ef Fort DoneIsOn'
1NTEREsT1NG PARTICULARS.
THURSDAYS OPERATIONS.


Thursday opened as clear and serene as
the day before it. Upon the FIRST coming of
the dawn our skirmishers had descended
into the valley, and our artillery, posted on
the hills, had opened an experimental fire,
which being occasionally returned by the
enemy, gave us some Information in regard
TO the position of their batteries. The night
before we were in possession of but little
information in regard to the character of
their Notifications, and although it was gen.
orally. supposed we were in front of some
rather formidable works, do not think
even our Generals were prepared for the
disclosures which the operations Of the
morning had made known to them. In
stead of an outer work to temporarily i'm
pede our approach, it was soon ascertained
that we were directly in front of the rear of
the fertilization of.the fort itself These
works BEGINNING on the Cumberland, at
the southerly side of Dover, and the main
fort, ran around on the high top Of the high
ridges before us to the head of the back
water on the north, here and there with.
bastion works of formidable character, and
at all points with formidable batteries
sweeping the more available approaches.-
These ridges vary from one hundred and
fifty to three hundred feet in height, and
arc CONeI60 Will Tue LuOSL UHu5S Der ana
underground, concealing, in great meas
ure, the character of the euemy's defences,
The few balls which they were induced TO
occasionally favor us with, afforded, for the
most part, our only clew as to the caliber
of their guns.
During the night previous, Gen Oglesby,
| in advancing along the ridge running to-
wards the river above the fort, and which
formed our right wing, suddenly came upon
battery sweeping the road upon which he
was advancing. The enemy, either not
aware at the time of the vicinity of the
force, or wishing it to advance still further,
RETAINED from openidg, and the General
ferrIIg anyuuIng worse tnan a bad scare. If
the battery had given them the contents of
their CUES, the fire must have deeimated the
entire brigade. Some few guns were dis
charged by our men in the confusion of the
moment, and the horse of a certain chan
lain became frightened and began a flight
which bid fair to land the non-eombatant
plump over the batteries. A few agonizin.y
10hoas and still more emphatic pulls, how
ever, checked tie rebellious tendencies of
the BEAST and the parson, | noticed. es-
ehewed horses ever after.
This morning Gen. O.'s brigade forced the
enemy from this position, and subsequently,
from another, advanced the right wing still
farther towards the river A subse0 uent
movement completed the lines of circumval-
lation nearly TO the river itself, and gave US
a position rendering the arrival ofany more
re-enforcements from Nashville barely prob
able. - ---z-- -.,- -
The operations of the day partook large
lY of the character of a series- of reeonnois~
sances. The artillery posted on the hill
would send ball across the valley on an
inquiring errand, and in turn would get a
solid ball or shell, which, lodging in close
proximity to our artiilerists, would be hunt
ed up and examined, and differences drawn
as to the character of the batteries pitted
against them. This practice resulted in no
casualties on our side of Importance, and
revealed good deal of information in re-
gard to the position of their redoubts The /
severest casualty of the morning was in the |
Seventh Illinois. Ia advancing down a |
road, on q ridge connecting the two hills on /