The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-02-22
FORT D0NELS0N TAKEN.

- - ~
and PiHo,c, scith their Brigades,
Escape. = O,xr loss IN the Battle 400
Killed and 500 Wounded.
ssBArr1ksFIELD NEAR FoRr DoSELsox /
- ~ February 16, 1862.
-" Fort Donelson surrendered at day
light this morning, Internationally.
We have Generals Buckner, Johnston
and Bushrod, $4,000 prisoners and
three thousand horses. Pillow and
Floyd, with their brigades, ran away
on steamers without letting Buckner
know their intentions. Gen. Smith
led the charge on the lower end of the
works, and was first inside of the for
tifications. The Fort Henry runaways
were bagged here. The steamers are
loading with prisoners for Cairo. Our
loss is heavy, probably 400 killed and
800 wounded. We lose large per-
centage of officers, among them Lieut..
Colonies Erwin, of the goth Illinois,
White, of the s1st, and Smith of the
4sth. Colonels John A. Logan, Lawler
and Ransom are Wounded. Major
Post, of the 9Th Illinois, with 200
privates, are prisoners, and have gone
to Nashville, being taken the night be-
fore the surrender. The enemy's loss
is heavy but not SO large as ours, as
they fought behind intrenchments. We
should have taken them by storming on
Saturday, flour ammunition had not
given out in the night.
McClernand's division, Oglesby's
Wallace's and McArthur's brigade suf-
fered terribly; they were composed of
the 9th, 9th, 18th, 18th, goth, goth,
3Oth, 3lst, 45th, 18th, and 49th, Illinois.
Gen. Lew Wallace, with the 18th In
diana, and 9Th Missouri and some Ohio
regiments participated. Taylor's, Will
lard's, .McAllister's, Schwartz's and
Dresser's batteries were in the fight
from the commencement. The enemy
turned our right for half an hour, but
our lost ground was more than re-
gained. Humans brigade, of Smiths
division, was first in the lower end of
the enemy's works, which was done by
a charge with bayonets. Nine-tenths
of the rebels were pitted against our
right. Our forces on the right were
ready all night to .re-commence the at
tack on Sunday nj orning, but they were
met on their approach by white flag,
Buckner having sent, early in the morn
ing, dispatch to Gen. Grant surren-
dering. 'to yt i' <t4 ti .;i l1s-
The works of the fort extend some $
miles on the outside. The rebels lose
some forty-eight field pieces, seventeen
heavy guns, twenty thousand stand of
arms, besides large quantities of COM
missary stores. They are completely
demoralized and have no confidence in
their leaders, as they charge Pillow and
Floyd with deserving them. a.ii
Our troops, from the investment of
the fort on ednesday, lay on their
arms night and day, half of the time
without provisions, all the time without
tents; portion in heavy rain and snow.
CHIcAGo, Feb. II.
A special dispatch from Fort Donel-
son to the Times says that the forces
were about equal in numbers, but the
rebels had all the advantage opposition,
being well fortified on two immense
hills, with their fort near the river on
lower piece of ground. From the
fort their intrenchments, rifle pits and
abattis extended up the river behind
the town of Dover. Their fortified.
tons on the land side, back from the
river, were at least four miles in length.
Their water battery in the centre of
the Notifications, where they came
down to the river, mounted nine heavy
guns.
The rebels were sure of success. In
any other cause, against less brave
troops, they could easily have held the
position against 100000 The business
of getting the different brigades in po-
sition, and attaching new arrivals to
different commands, took up a greater
portion of Friday night. At daylight
Saturday, the enemy opened on the
18th Illinois, when all of Oglesby's
brigade were soon engaged, which was
soon followed by Wallace's and Nc
Artbur's brigades, the latter acting
under Nc Clernand. AS the position of
the troops had been changed during
the night, and Gen. Grant had been
called away during the night to attend
the gunboat movements, all the troops
except those attached to Netherlands
division, acted without anything except
general orders. 49,. 49,.
At the suggestion of Gen. McCler-
nand, Gen. Wallace sent up four regi-
ments to support his division, who
were nearly out Of ammunition. From
the commencement until l 0 o'clock the
fighting was terrific. III I,,I - ..
The troops on the right were dis
posed as follows: McArthur's brigade
eth, 10Th, 4lst, It'll and, 10Th Illinois.
Next Oglesby's brigadeESth, 18th,
Goth, Both and 31st Illinois !, Schwartz
and Dresser's battery; next. Wallaee's
brigade-11th, goth, 45th and 4Sth H.
iinois. These three brigades composed
Nc Clernand's, division, and bore the
brnnt of. the battle. r., -, -,
II was found that the enemy were
concentrating their main force to turn
our right, which was done by our. men
getting ont of ammunition, and in the
confusion of getting, up reinforcements
they retreated about half mile. AS
soon as the division which had stood
their ground so .manfdlly for three
- 2.L-f az ~ AZ, ..t:l Il. =,