Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-03-12

been kindly hancedus, BY the latter, To-
publication:
CAKP ANDREW JACKSON, NASHVILLE,
TENN, March lst, 1862.
Friend Harmon Once again our belov
ed "0ld oath" is halted" and 1 hast
en- to report. You see by the caption
that the victorious army Of our country i
pushing its irresistible columns into tn,
heart of rebeldom. On the l4th we go
the order to break camp neal Green Riv
er, and make for the Ohio-reached the
mouth of Salt River, KY, late on tbs
night Of the 10th, and embarked on the
18th. The Steamer "Autocrat" was load
ed with the 24th Ohio, four companies Of
the Saith Indiana, Ii company of Indi,
ana cavalry, and placed under my com
mand. The position assigned me wasnext
to the flag ship (the "Diana") containing
Gen. Nelson and staff, the 9th Ohio, two
companies of the Gath Indiana, and two
of cavalry. The "Woodford" followed
next, with Gen. Ammen and staff, the
Both Indiana, four companies Of the S4th
Indiana, and one company of cavalry
There were eighteen large steamboats, in
the feet, anda grander spectacle was new
er witnessed on inland waters. At Can
Melton, Indiana. we rounded TO for coal,
and received our first intelligence of the
Fort Donelson victory. As boat after boat
came in, we received news Of the splendid
achievement. The widest enthusiasm
was exhibited by the troops on board, and
by the people on shore. Our orders were
to report at Pa6uca, which point We reach.
ed the 22nd. On the next morning we
received orders to proceed up the Cum
berland. Our fleet was here reinforced
by divers brigades from Indiana, Illinois,
and Kentucky, and back up the Ohio, to
Smithland, our steam column pushed and
entered the Cumberland, en- route for reb-
el strongholds. On the water, Jour Gene
raj being a navy officer by profession, is
most emphatically at home. He seems
to take particular delight in hat method
of transporting an army. The Cumber-
land river was at a very high stage of wa
ter, covering the beautiful bottom land,
skirting its meandering and rocky bed
At u o'clock at night we reached Fort
Donelson, and a heavy gale setting in, we
tied up under the dark shadow of her
frowning heights. We remained there
till morning. 1t is a fortress of immense
strength, and if defended by valiant men,
would deal death with a broadcast hand,
to an attacking force, andsuch is the true
history of its fall. The taking of Fort
Donelson was the hardest contested en-
gagement, ever fought on this continent.
But nothing can resist the determined as
sault of Western volunteers. They fight
to "win," and until that end Is secured,
death has no terrors. Fort Donelson and
its e~nvirons. will bear evidences of that
conflict, long after the last participant
shall have mouldered away. Its fall op-
ened the paSsage,-our feet was there to
improve upon the advantage, and at ear
ly dawn we steamed forward, to again en-
gage the rebels somewhere on the upper
waters of the Cumberland. At noon we
GAINESVILLE, late a secession rem
devious, but that day surrendered to IN
ion troops, part of the yictors of Fort Don
elson. The deserted Notifications and
batteries. showed the high deter
mination of the rebels before the great
Their stores uninjured, their
cannon unspiked, attested their utter panic
their defeat. Sixty miles above
Clarksburgh lay Nashville, the capital of
rebel Tennessee, andwe pushed forward to
meet the rebels there. At this point mo
Union boat having passed beyond since
the rebellion broke out we took a gum
boat as our advance guard, and closed in
behind her. We proceeded cautiously,
carefully scanning the understanding the
black saucy gun-boat to reconcile the
bends of the river. The high water gave
US much advantage, the banks being ov-
from bluff to bluff. At about 4
A. NJ, we had reached a point about sew
en- miles below the rebel city, and halted
the column for daylight, giving the entire
feet time to " close up" At the earliest
approach of fair light, we again pushed
forward. Two miles from the city at a
,o.&o;, Io,J sc a. r;,o, Az -,r 1oof L
a battery commanding one mile
Of the channel. A detachment from the
steamer Woodford, was Immediately land
ed to reconoiter, and the little floating
moved on with its open guns, but
the foe had fed, and being mounted, were
not overtaken. Here we captured l6 can
non, viz: eight 64-pounders, four 32-pound-
srs, and four 6 and 10 Founders, howitz-
Frs, and a vast amount of ball and bomb.
This looked like a complete abandon
nent of Nashville and its defences. The
remaining distance was run by the boats
and by 6 IL A. NJ, the city was
full view, at l - miles distance. 1t
vas a clear, fine, morning, and the river
spread its wild current from the streets of
he city the distance of a fall mile on the
shore. 1t wa at once apparent
hat the city was in terrible commotion.
At that distance we could not tell the ma
.ure Of the disturbance. Not a Union
lag could be seen. Our gun-boat opened
Ter death dealing portals, and the feet
with bristling bayonets steered
or the landing. In less than five min
ties from the opening of the port holes,
he city was futtering like a thing of
ife, with white flags" and the people
TO move toward the river. 1t was
hen fully appareI: that proud, defiant,
ebel Nashville had surrendered. The
took a commanding position,
nd tho ~cfaamnhoafe fook for tho wharf -