Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-27
TEE BATTLES AT FORT DONELsoN.
ACCOUNT BY A PARTICIPANT.
spseIsl Correspondence Of the Lynehburg Republican.
FL

spselal Correspondence Of the LyHehburg Republican
NASHVILLE Feb l7tb, 1862.
Dear RspUbliean You have ere this heard Of the
boediest cogteII witnessed this connsnt-the
iyht at Fort D)neson. Il comnCrced the IL b, but
did rage hereely until The l5h Ol the morning OF
the lSih the enemy opened hro the Fort with their
gunboats and attacked Us our right by land In the
course Of two hours the fight became general and tr
nc They made gallant charges cn our right aud left,
we being in our rife pits. They came egain and agRir.
Early IN the evening" they dew of their men, rallied
them and made another desperate effort but Wers rCpEs
ed Gith hedry ioss Just ebJui night On the morning OF
18th they again attacked us, and again repulsed
about IL 10 the meantime, their gunboats doing
all they could 10 reduce the Fyri, Without SUCCESS
Thev we're disappointed, End sadly So for their boais
were disabled About bight they made desperate CT
tort With their beats and by land but literally torn
q pieces At this stage Of the gsms We got the news
Of raesucrts ormnG up the river fifteen in number
They landed 10 coo men, and their force was
about 81, 900. We had about IA 900.
our Generals determined TO 60 out OF the entrenOb.
mems and drive them aSsy sacrifice the life Of al
in their armies in the attempt SO, saly on the morn
ing Of Ii, l5lb left ra, pits and attacked the
enemy in bis strong position, and after hours Of
the most terrific fighting, PW them to fight We took
A, orr charge 900 prisoners Just here I'll ol parcu.
ar attention 10 Col John McCauslAnd's Virginia Resi
merit He led tho charge upon battery, took il, aud
brought IL within besstworks, ard lost in doyg So
70 men, killed and wounded out of 800! Such is the
gallant Bnlrlt o. ClQ lneH OlNt
Col Massie's lost in the fight bl out Of 250 aud the
SOL Al out of 800; Col. Reid led the 5Oh Regiment
Tvs Gallant lr III nj urn being at the time very sick
and was wounded 10 a charge he had made should
have said that CO. MsO.usland commanded the 2d Brig
sde of Which the So IA Regiment part The s6;h
was comms nded by M-jor Smith, ex-Governors son.
have not .sce.ained the loss of the 5oh bnt it was
sbou, the same as that Ct the ohsra We took three
batteries aud brought them Inside our Sorks
must not fal 70 cal particular attention 10 Colonel
rl.At tha 4 Pal ID A.
He ch,rg, the enemy in their posi- len and To- IL men
ont o. COP 10 doiug O. OIL Foirosts Cavalry OF Ten
nessee took one battery Il was ro5ly done. was
eve witness What sight iI was TO see the "a Ken
pleky Z gmeut chuge over the bTeGtvorks ai,er the
JnoclnitCs! was in tn feet o. them when the OIder
T,s Fiver nv Gsn, F,oyd 10 chrrge What a graad
s.ghtl Then We c ased the Ya KEGS about two miles
never saw the like
Bui cur pclders had been fighting for fo'T days
Th,y were e1oaused they could pursue them nc far
her, and We conprllsd to go TO our brenstWorks
arain. In he course Of some Two hours, the enemy
having received the 10 900 rsib!oroenents above nen
toned attacked US on Que right aud such an attack as
they made | reckon scNcsly ever before known
They up and took portion OF the breasWoiks On
the rieht and held them took one battery, bu Wers i'm
rtprlssd aud driven beyond the reach Of Buck
and Bal But on tho extreme right they fought 80
desperately that at one time thought We would not
rspuso them. We got Of ammunition on the right
and then Il VAS apprehcr sive of the result Bu
our boys took their fire V,fi5ut any ammunition, Gag
erly awaiting their nearer approach that they might
at ok EN-" as they call i'll Bu. they didn't give them
CHARGE The Yankees fell back, and it was not long
before plenty Of ammunition was at hand and now they
psppsTed IN ~
Blu. wo we're too much exhausted. We fought four
dsys, Al we're up four nights aud under suJh crcuu
stances man might fell asleep Whis, fdng gun and
our Generals (Pillow, Brtkner, ard JOhaston,) knew
tha; eurrsrder vas almost ineritG'i,.
Gperal Flcyd said be wouldn't tGrrender aud took
bis orisnal division, Colonel Wharton AID Ooloa Nc
C.ussnd AZ etartd for Na'hyills. fear that Of
his regiments, the 20 b Mis- ilsippi, taken.
rode over the battlefield. There 1000
Yankees left dead To give correct idea Of the mum
her killed ought 10 say 5000