Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1862-04-03
FAIL Of FORT DaNsLsaH.

I'LL W iS"'
The Northern papers continue
To be filed with this affair. AS
the letters and sketches are inter-
esting, though of no great rella-
1;lity, we give some extracts:
GoISG To THE FIGHT.
When | wrote yesterday from
paducah I hardly had an idea OF
the magnitude of the expedition
thea fitting out for the siege OF
Fort Donelson. | supposed that
the forces under Generals Grant.
McClernand, Smith, and Wallace,
now at Fort Henry, would const.-
tute the land force for the attack,
and that the glnboats were all that
was wanting in cooperation to en-
able them to open the ball; but
right upon the closing of that let
ter. down came feet of eleven
transport-steamers from the upper
Ohio river, having on board four
teen new regiments Of Hoosiers
aad Buckeyes, armed and equipped
and fairly "spoiling for a fight.
TIE DESERTED FARMS ALONG THE
RIVER.
This morning we have passed
MANY fine farms along the rivers
banks-farms which promised ease,
and comfort, and luxury to their
once peaceful proprietors, now de.
serted and left to the ravages OF
self-emancipated slaves and ma
RAIDERS of a lighter tint, whlle
fields Of corn and TOBACCO are left
where the first autumnal i;oStS
found them, ungarnered and un-
cared for. Flocks and herds have
free access to every locality, houses
stand open and costly furniture
exposed, and the whole country
looks as if the inhabitants there
of had been frightened from thei,
homes by terror worse than thai
of Lisbon when the earth quaked
or of MarseiIles when the plague
ravaged every household. TerIo
and desolation are on every hand
and one wonders if time will eve
arrive when this country Will DE a
prosperous and happy as 1t was
year since.
Some fifteen miles above Eddy
Vile we came to the large rollin!
mills of Hillman Brothers, nov
still and deserted. Quite larg
village has sprung up around thes
works, and report gives the piac
credit of being one of the strong
est secession holes in the State
Despite this report, however, W
found several women out upon Ut
on the bluffs, waving handke'
chiefs and miniature flags, as Oil
feet passed, and a few men (wlt
strong nasal twans and dow
East accenD came down to th
rivers bank and INDUCED in te'
very faint cheers. Here occurred
scene, too, that divestcdour Journe
of its monotony. We were Ju:
leaving the upper end of the vi
lage. when an elderly lad
emerged from a house, and IL
dulged in sort of wild harangu
about as follows:
"Glory to God! Amen! In
day of Judgment has come! Glor.
hallelujah! Fear God and keep h,
commandments, and give the rebel
an eternal hell, for thus it becon
eth us to fulfil all righteousness
The old lady was evidently IL
sane; but such was the appropr
ateness of the sentiment that OF
boys responded with a heart
owe will, old gal" "bet yer boot
on it, if we get chance, an
sundry other sayings too numel
GUS to write or mention.
But here we are opposite Canto
and only sixteen miles below tn
Fort. Here we have another VI
ion demonstration. The people
the vicinity are lining the bank
and handkerchief, and flags, an
aprons, and even dinity, are way
ing us a welcome One asks, o
seeing such manifestations, ga
it be possible that these peopl
are at heart Unionists, or do the.
affect to welcome us merely II
fear of personal violence AM
the answer comes in the absence o
the young and middle aged men
they have gone off to the rebel al
my.and even now, probably, ma
nv of those greeting us as we pas
have husbands and sons and broth