Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-03-22
Western Bravery and the Western
Dead.

As time reveals the nature and pro-
portion OF the struggle 1T Fort Donel-
son, we hnd-contrary to uur usual ex-
Ia.rience of rrports at battles-thar, in
regard to this first great collision
of the hostile armies of the West, it is
necessary to add to our carries. reports.
Time AMI fuller information reveal the
battle of Fort DnnelSon as the gre.tcst
battle fought, thus far, on th, Ameri-
can Continent q thlce davs' desper-
ate Struggle between an a&&ai!ing force
ot Urobablv, sc, 900 men, and w II
intrenched defending army Of twenty
to thirty thousand "A line of battle
reaching for several miles the strug-
Gle veerlng to and fro IA positions are
taken or lust-the woods and ravines
echoing with the crack Of thousands
OF rifles and the boom Of 1T least >ev-
enty pifceS of artillery on each side
Desperate surties arc madc-battcrie
are taken, retakcn and lost agail fresh
regiment succeeds regiment in the
fierce struggle, and in one case sally
Is made with the Most determined pul-
pose by some 10000 men Of the be-
sleged force tn cut their way through
all attack which IL finally repulsed
with great loss. They are three & gloomv
aud depiorable days in the Natural
w"rd--thongh forever glorious in our
history, The tough soldiers of the
West Fl ight amid rain and slcet and
SNOW they lie down on the frozen
ground or i'll tEe SHOW Al night, an.i it
Is believed that many Of the Wounded
were frozen t. death.
There is little food or rest during
those fearful days; even their blankets
as Is usually the case in battles, have
been ahandoncd, and they are exposed
70 all the iltclemency of the season--
Their naval allies are beaten back, and
The attack must depend ;l!oi,c on them,
while the enemy has Il most strong and
difficult position. Bat they never think
for u moment of Withdrawing, or Civ
n5 up the assault. They had set
themselves down before Fort Donclsnn
I" take it, aud like the true sols ot' the
i'H4rlms, - most Of them are, will not
give it np ill they have done it. Z uh
common soldier knows that the whole
course of American hi~torv--perhaps
the life OF the Union --tlrpends on the
result of those hard fought days. The
dead fall in heaps under the desperate
on~cts Of the bcsiege,l.
Fort D,neison determines the fate
ct the Mississippi valley, anl probably
the fate Of this gigantic rebellion.
Pialn men--fathers, brothers, lovers,
son>-welt ont from prairie farms, and
western workshops, anil co,nting-
rooms and there, III the snow lad ra-
vines Of the Cumberland, each by him.
self offered up Il life as dear TO him as
ours to us, for his country. they sleep
i'll their cold Shr"ud there, that We may
eEjoy comforts and privileges here. -
They have borne cold, FROST and storm;
they have met the fury OF the cannon
blast they have charged OH the dead
ly breach that we might hsve a free.
aud honored government. Their dust
>h'! be the seed of liberty On those
silent graves by the shades Of the Cum
brran,l will be built up all that our
lo>terlty shall enjoy of Order and Gov
ernineilt, and future historians will as
crihe ia Those wintry days of battle the
and perlnanency OF a great
and glorious Republic. Honor, then,
to the Western dead !