, 1862-02-22
A WEEK AGO.
Saturday at Fort D0nels0ll.
Animated Description.


Animated Description.
We find in the Missouri Democrat an account
| Of the doinys On Saturday ut Fort Donclson, so
graphic md complete that We, though 1t may
sound like thrice told tale, trunsfer it to om
columns:
Saturday, which was destined to witness Ill,
grand denouement Of the tragedies which la]
a scene about Donelson, was cold, damp aud
chcerlcss Our troops, however, had but little
time to cogitate upon the weather, or any 9th
to more serious matters. The enemy, during
the night, had transferred several Of their bat
| terjcs to portions Of their works within a few
hundred feet Of which our extreme right wing
was resting. Upon the first coming Of dawn
these batteries suddenly opened Oh the Ninth
Eighteenth, Twenty ninth, Thirtieth and Thir:
ty-tirst regiments, comprising Oglesby's Brig
ado, and who had the advance. Simultaneous,
" with the opening Of the batteries, q force OF
abont II GOO infantry and regiment Of cavalry
was hurled against the Brigade with rigol
which, made against less steady and well.dis'
ciplined troops, must surely have resulted in
their entire demolition.
Sudden and unexpected as was the eally on
the part Of the enemy, it did not find the gal
| lant 1llinoisans unprerared to meet them.
The attack was made in columns OF regiments
! which poured in upon the little band from no
less than three directions. Every regiment e1
the brigade found Itself opposed to three, and
in many cases no less than four different regi.
| ments. Undisnlayed, however, by the greatly
superior force of the enemy, aid unsupported
| by adequate artillery, the brigade not only
| held their own, but upon two occasions actu-
ally drove the rebels tair1y into their cntrench.
nacnts, but only to be pressed back again into
their former position, until at last, having ex-
| pended every round Of their ammunition, they
were Obliged to retire and give way to the
| advancing regiments Of Col " H. L. Wal.
| lacc's brigade Of the Eleventh, Twenthieth,
! sevenenteenth, Forty fifth, Forty-cightl Hi.
nois, and Forty-ninth 18th Indiana regiments.
Here again was the battle continued with
redonbled vlgor, now one side and now anothel
| giying way. Our troops fought with the cool
ness Of veterans and the desperation Of dev.
| lis. would not diminish the gallantry of om
own troops by saying that The enemy die
| not tight brlycly and well They did both
An exact statement Of the varying fortunes o
the field for the three OR four hours following
the first attack, it is impossible at present tt
definitely present. Suffice it to say, our troop:
| .fougAt, and not only fought, and fought cour
| ageously, but fought co0l1y and scientifically.
III the thickcst of the fight, where officers had
to remove the dead bodies Of their men out
| Of the way Of the backward wheels, regiments
! coolly performed maneuvers which Scott in
l
Oh the battlefield.
| The battle, for the most part, was fought it
| forest, With thick underground beneath
and regiments acted mostly on the principl.
Of hitting u head wherever it could bc found
Swar1ning on all sides Of them, the,
wcrc not ut 4 loss to find them. One regi
n.cnt Was only driven from before them whe1
another sprung up to take it's place, and thert
is hardly 4 regiment Of the force engaged bu
was opposed to triple its numbers. Thu
went the tide Of battle for five hours-nov
gaining a little, but upon the whole obliged
to retire. Officers and men dropped upon al
sides. Field officers were borne killed AM
wounded from the field, and their next il
command coolly took their places and con
tinuea the fight. Lieut.. Col. White of th
Tli1ty-frst, Lieut.. Col. Smith Of the Forty
eighth, Lieut.. Col. Irwin Of the Twentieth, an
Major Post Of the Eighth Illinois, and scores Q
company officers were all killed, gallanu
leading on their men.
| Coils. Logan, Lawler and Ransom wer
never to yield.
| And still with unyielding courage the gal
liant 1llinolsans and 1ndianians would no
acknowledge themselves yanquished- Whe
| the last cartridge had been expended, and o.
| lcrs were given to retire, for other regiment
| to take their place, soldiers, grim with smok
and powder, would angrily inquire for what
and beg to be allowed to use the bayonct. Blu
1
| pying the position ours did, and exposed t
such rak1ng artillery fire as the enemy sui
jcctcd thcm to, to maintain their groun
against the overwhelming force which III
rebels continued to push against them.
Oglesby's, ". H. L. Wallace's. and McAr
dlur's brigades were successfully obliged t
retire; a portion Of Schwartz's and McA
. listers batteries had been lost aud gained
; and lost again, and it was not until tLe ;lt
vilcing enemy had reached Crafts brigade
and Taylor and Wizards batteries could b
: brought into action, that VIC were able to stel
tho tide These two batteries outdid then
+ seiScs. Grape canister and shrlpncl, an
N uninterrupted musketry fire from the Firs
Nebraska, Forty-eighth and Fifty eighth Ohis
proved too much for tue so far victorio5
foe, and they at last were obliged TO retire.
BY this time it w:ls noon Gen. Gr:,pt la
! just returned from the landing, w1rre be Ina
,, 4 conference with Commodore Footc. Til
t,tlicer lad Informed tie General that it ";
) impossible for him to put his gunboats in
: condition to make another attack, for sever
days at least: Notwithstanding this, upon b
ing informed of the severe repulse our troo1
had met With in the morning, he saw that sou
' Immediate action on our part was necessary
4 1etricye the day.
|. He Immediately gave orders to lis Genera
/ Of divisions to prepare for an Immediate III
g general attack along the entire lines. II
!, regiments which lad suffered most severely
the morning were withdrawn Gen Lew. vi;
lace was given division composed Of tu
y regiments Of his own brigade, {the Eighth Iii
. souri, and Eleventh 1ndiana, and several 9th
regiments. whose loss III the action Of Il
c norning had been but slight. and was Civ,
F the job Of clearing the ground VIC had lost
the morning, while Gen. Smith, com,nandi1
;, the left. received orders to storm the wor
u u under which his division was lying.
+ GENERAL SMITHS COMMAND.
2 Gen. Smith is emphatically, fighting ma
= = and Is may bc Imagined, the events of Il
!. morning had tended to decrease iu no measu
l. his pugnacity. When he received his long d
4 sired orders for an assault Of the enemy
works, his eyes glistened with fire wllic
j. could it have been sccnby his naligncrs, won
Lave left them il no doubt as to his l,aiy:,
feelings in regard to the present contest.
e The arrangements were complete by o'cloc
5 and his column was put in motion soon aftt
r The force under his command was as follow
Col. Cooks Brigade Seventh Illinois: F
titth do, Twelfth Iowa, Thirteenth Missou
J. Fihy.sccond Indiana.
It. Col. Laun,an's Brigade Second Iowa, Sc
# enth Iowa, Fourteenth Iowa, Twenty y-lifth I
= diana, Fifty-sixta Indiana.
&c Under cover Of Capt. Stones Missouri bs
?, tory, this force began to assault It was
r formidable undertaking, which, under a le
s brave and skitlsul commander than Gen Smit
z ,1,igllt have proved Il disastrous failu1c
i Tic hills ut this point are among the mo
5. | PCt4p1oHs VI lItOoE upon WHICH Tile cuEn
u we're posted. Selecting the Second al
Seventh Iowa. and the Fifty India
c for the storn'ins party, Gen. Smith deflcctf
j. the main portion Of his division to the rigt
= and having succeeded in engaging tue attic
: tion OF the enemy at this point, himself head
S the storning party aud advanced upon t
:. works from his extreme left It was mo
. magnificent sight. Unapal1ed BY the pcrfe
T. storm Of bullets which raincd about him,
General on horseback, and with his il
on tue point OF his sword, preccd
his troops. and inspired them wi
furorc there was 10 withstanding.
," Steadily, with ,1nbroken line, tic gala
:, Hawkeyes aud ludianians advanced The c
r. emy's grape and canister came plowi
Through their ranks, but not a shot was tir
. in return. Closing up the ranks as one aft
D another OF the brave fellows dropped to I
j. earth, and animated by the fearless cxamnlc
a. their nndauntcd leader, they pressed stead
on. Tic works gained, one tremendous vol
lc was poured into the astonished enemy, ar
Is with fixed bayonets, charge was made
>, their ranks which there was no witl1standir
> IAcy lied IN confusion over the hills, and
u last VIC had penetrated the rebel Sebastop
5. and the misfortunes of the morning were
b. trieved. Capt. Stones battery, which,
:, the meantimc. had been doing tremendo
~ execution i'll the rebel ranks, was promp
Is advanced to the position giiued, aud lnstan
e. supported by the remainder Of his divisi{
IS tlc point w:as secured against any force
r. enemy could bring to bear against it.
:. GEN LEW. wALLAcE's ATTACK on THE RIo1
ln the meantime, Gen. Lew. Wallace L
= completed his preparations for an attack
ID the enemy occupying the position he b
Sc ~rested from US in the morning, some t
Id miles and a half to the right. just as his c