The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-24
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN, FEB "a '~oz'

caissons, and the guns were left to their fate
In the course OF the day tremendous charss
on the part of our troops reoccupied the los'
ground, closed up the gap and recovered 'ne
pieces. They were found where they were lei''
their great weight-being 24-pound siege guns
probably preventing the enemy IRON taxing
them away.
The fight RACED from daylight until "eorl,
noon WITHOUT moments cessation, and resulted
in the enemy's being driven back to his intrencIn-
ments. The battle ground extended over space
some two miles in length, every inch OF when
was the witness Of savage conflict. The rebels
fought with the most determined bravery, and
seemed bent upon breaking through the right
wing at any cost. They poured against our
lines perfect flood, and it was only by BRAY
cry than equaled their own, and a resolute de-
termination to conquer that outasted their If
forts, that our gallant soldiers were at length
enabled to stay the fierce tide, and finally to
huYl it back to its former boundaries. Our men
determined that they a0ouid win, and win they
did, with gallantry that entities every man to
the name of hero
The wAoie of the fight ,cas Of the Terrific char
acter. Without Il angle moments cessation The
rebels poured INTO our forces perfect torrents of
oenister, shell and round shot, phale their thou
sands of rifemen hurled in a destructive tire
from every bush, tree log or obstruction of any
kind that afforded shelter. The roar of the
battle was like that of heavy tornado, as 1t
sweeps through some forest ON its mission of
destruction. Small arms kept up an incessant
cracking, minging with which came up occa-
sionally the roar Of company or division firing,
while over all came every moment or two the
racopo pt thnpdaro If tho hatrpreS
Never fought men better than did Onrs on this
bloody day. They chung to position till driven
from it by the direst necessity, and in many in
dividual cases, men refused to retreat, but stuck
to their tree or bush till the enemys force ro-
led about them, and swallowed them up. Many
in this way were taken prisoners, while Others
found speedier, blooder end to their daring.
The victory was costly one. Some of the reg
iments were cut implicitly to pieces, others
were reduced to size that scarcely left them Il
respectable company, while all suffered more or
less severely. Lieut.. Colonel Quinn, Of the
Twentieth Illinois, while CALAMITY urging on
his men in the hottest OF the fight, was struck
by grapeshot that cut his heart completely out.
The mortality among officers aUas terrible.
Thus ended the bloodest day of all in the
history of the siege at Fort Donelson. No day
has ever before seen in this war a conflict more
, determined, or an endurance more unyielding.-
Thore was at no time doubt as to the result,
or heart that quailed as it entered the lines
where the bullets fell like hailstorm. Even
the sight of the savage wounds, or the still more
sickening one of the CHASTITY faces of the dead,
seemed to have no effect upon our men. 1t did
not unnerve or unman them. They fought on
just as TRANQUILITY as though the hideous Angel
of Death had been thousand leagues away
| When a man was wounded his comrades would
help him to the rear, and then return instantly
to their position, and resume their fighting as
if nothing had happened. Ofcases of individ-
ual daring there were IL multitude. some OF
which hope to presen, in another letter.