Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1862-02-28

ha were so, who would admit if. The uniVer-
sal sentiment was, as bluff Col. 0glesby ex-
pressed 1T. "We came here to take that fort,
aud we will take it," and it is this self-same
spirit of dogged determination, and steady
long enduring courage, peculiar TO the Anglo
Saxon Of tie North, that At last oatwore the
perhaps moro impetuous bravery Of the oppos
ing force.
Nothing OF especial note transpired sloUg
the lines on Friday The sharpsbooters not
j withsianding the cold, enseoused themselves in
their old positions or the hilIsides, and were
| as great terror as ever to tho gunners of the
batteries above them. Cayender, Taylor,
Woods, lof McAlister's batteIy), Dresser aud
Swartz would occasionally exchange valen-
tine, as they we're playfully called, but there
we're DO such bloody affairs as had cbaraEter-
ized the operations Of the day previous. The
batteries, too, had got the range of one apoth-
er's positions so accurately, that Unsigned
both parties had preferred, in absence of any
positive orders to the contrary, to linger beside
| the camp ire, just out of range Of the Others
! guns, than to Indulge in idle badinage.
ARRIVAL or RENFoRcRMENTs Ts-THE GUN
BOAT ATTACK.
The long expected gun. boat feet, together
with the reinforeemeDts, had, however, come
to hand, and it was expected that the lafter
could be brought up SO as to join with lie
other forces as general assault 10 the r.ar,
while the gun boats attacked ID trout. TIE
distance from the river to the left of our right
wing was, however, so great, that bat few reg
Iments arrived even before dark Gen Grants
| judgment, therefore, much against his will, Isd
a 81 L. [ -. A n.
available force 10 proper position.
The bonbardnient Of The gun-bn.t Il et be-
gun about hsif.pa two, aud continued two
hours. Four of The iron clad aud two Of the
wooden boats participated ia the fight, which
Was Of fearful nature. Expecting lue ASSAULT
on the rear of the fort, | was not present TO
witness the naval attack, and shall not attempt
therefore, to give sDy detailed account of il.
It is however, described by the officers engag-
ed in it, as altogether exceeding ia 6erceuess
The bombardneot of Fort Henry. At oil
events the effect upon the boats was much
more severe, and subsequent Investigations
have led Ine TO believe that The injury Inflicted
on the rebels was not so great either as at
the Notifications. THIS latter is, probably, /
owing to the fact that the twelve guns of the
fort commanding the river we're at consider,
Z
difficult for the naval gunners tl get their
exact range, or one obtained to keep II, while
the boats we're steadily advancing.
SATURDAY.
Saturday, which was destined to witness
tho grand denouement ef the tragedies
which d adj scene about Donelson, was cold,
damp aud cherries. Our troops, however,
had but little tims 70 cogitate upon the weaih !
err, or any other subject, ere they were called |
upon to attend to ln0re serious matters. The |
sBem7 during the night, had transferred sew
eral OF their batteries to portions of their |
works within few hundred feet of which our
extreme right wing was resting. Upon the !
first eouling of dawn these batteries suddenly |
opened on the Ninth, Eighteenth, Twenty |
ninth, Thirtieih and Thirty first Regiments, I
comprising Oslesby's Brigade, and Gho hRd |
the advance. simultaneously with the open.
lug Of the batteries, force OF about 1900 |
ibfautry and regiment of cavalry, was hur-
ried against tue Brigade with 7lgor which,
made against less steady and we'll disciplined /
troops, must surely have resulted ia their en-,
tire demolitiou.
Sudden aud unexpected as was the sally oD I
the part OF tae enemy, it did net fnd the gall
LIANT Illiuoians unprepared to meet them. The
attack was made In columns of regiments,
which poured in upon the little bapd from 40
less than three different directions. Every
regiment of the brigade found Itself opposed
TO three, and IL many cases to no less than
four different regiments Undismayed, how
ever, By the greatly superior force OF the en-
emy, aud unsupported Dy adequate artillery,
sha brigade not only held theie Own, but upoH
tive occaSions actually drove the rebels fairly
into their entrenchments, but only to be press
ed back again into their former position, until
at last, having expended every round Of their
ammunition, they we're obliged to retire and
give way TO the advancing regiments OF Col.
w. ii. j.. Wallace's brigade or the eleventh
Twentieth, Segenteenth. Forty-htth, Forty
eighth Illinois, aud Forty-ninth Indiana reg>
lments.
The battle, for the noAt part, was fought
in forest, with thick undergrowth beneath,
and regiments acted mostly on the principle
Of hitting head wherever it could be found.
svarmine 90 all sides of them, they were not
al less I'd find them. One regiment was on
ly driven from before them when another
sprung up 10 take it's place, aud there is hard
ly regiment of the force engaged but was
opposed to triple its numbers. Thus went
the tide of battle for FIVE hours-noB gaining
little, hut upon the whole obliged to retire.
Officers and men dropped upon all sides. Field
officers were borne, killed and wouuded from
the field. and their next in command coolly
took their place and continued the fght.-
Leutenant-Colonel White of the Thirty first,
Lieutenant. Colonel Smith of the Forty-eighth,
Lieutenant Colonel Irwin of the Twentieth,
and Major Post Of the Eighth illinois, and
enoras rs nnr,raDv afiearS ,rara ali kflIad -
lantly leading on their men.
And still with unyielding courage the gall
lant llllnoiSians and lndianisns would net ao-