The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-02-26
THE SIEGE OF DONELSON.
The Esonno:,rsll.,e,sat by the Fleet.
Tz1G Observation-Disclosures
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.

correspondence OF tle tnctSo tribune.
FT DoSEIsoN, Feb. II, 1862.
The Stars and Stripes wave over Donelson.
I can only give you ap outline of what has
taken place to accomplish its reduction
The telegraph has given you a few facts, but
a few only. Let me give general review,
leaving out Thousand incidents which would
be Of great interest, had the time to give
them. First, let me try to give description
Of the defences, for without some such at
tempt, all the features ofthc battle field will
not be understood.
The current oft Cumberland river at
norer rnEs nearly north, but Immediately
at the town as you ascend the stream, it
leads towards the east, not in an abrupt bend
but gentle carve The banks on the west
side are quite elevated. but the hills are cut
by runcrous ravines The hills are about
one hundred feet high, just such elevations
as are to be seen in Egypt or along the Ohio.
About one half mile below or north Of the
town, there is a round knob cleared, and
planted with corn the past season. 1t is fully
one hundred feet high, and the ascent on
the north side is very steep@-too steep to be
plowed. 1t twas covered with a forest, which
was cleared when the work of entrenching
began There the rebels set up their bate
ries for the defense of the river.
Before describing these, may say that
there are three separate works--the water
batteries, the fort, and the rear line of the
cntrenchments. Commencing with the wa
ter batteries, low down close upon the bank,
you see, as you stand in front of them, what
appears to be hole in the side of the hill.
Upon examination you find it to contain one
1913 pound ri1ed gun from the Trcdcgar works
at Richmond, and two 80 FOUNDER howitzers.
The rifled gun is a fair piece ofworkmanship
and as you run your eye along the sights,
you can easily imagine that it win send a
ball straight dswn the stream a mile and a
halfto the distant level plump into any boat
It is in an admirable position.
Right above it commences trench which
is dug to the side Of the hil or rather which
runs up it in a diagonal, as if an attempt
was made to construct a road. The hill is
sostecp that in ten rods distance there is
room for eight 3a,ponnders., AT the upper
end ofthe trcnchis a second l2s-pounder.
Standing Mt any gun, you can see that all
can be brought to bear upon any object down
the river that gunboat approaching can
be raked from stem to stern, and that shot
can be poured straight into her bows, point
blank from the lower guns, and upon her
decks, q piunging Gre from the big gun at
the top of the trench. The cmbankment is
well constructed and from the nature Of the
ground il is almost a casernatc. A shot sta
king below or above would do no damage.
Now, Transferring yourself to n eunboat,
YOU would see that it would be next to an
impossibihty to reach the big gun at the up-
per end of this trench. for, turn yonr bows
head on toavoid the shot, you would still be
rakcd by some OF the rebel guns. This was
the liver defense it was-alnost imprcgna-
BILE, as we found, in the attempt to lombard
it. asaa M M
Ascending the crest of tie ridge, you Soc
TT. Donclson enclosing about five or six
acres Ian embankment with ditch outside.
The ditch is narrow and tho embankment
thin. 1t has vast number Of angles nearly
fifty.,I should judge-the most irregular
,