The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-03-20
HsrWa are pleased Won lhe nn norlnl.

'1 The Westerh Dead.
As time reveals the nature and proper
ton Of the struggle at Fort Don NELSON
we 6nd--contrary to our usual experi
ence Of reports Of battles-that the first
news understand its importance. So ac.
eustomed are we to exaggerations in the
dispatches and letters relating to the mil.
ilaty operations 10 this war, that mos
people unconseiously deduct large per.
centage from the accounts of every new
event in our campaign. But in regard tc
this first great collision of the hostile ar
mics Of the West. ne find it pece ssary tr
add to all our earliest reports. Time and
fuller Information reveal the battle of Fort
Donnelson as the greatest battle fought
thus far on the American Continent; q
three days desperate struggle between an
assaling force of (Pobably) 3O,OuO men
and well en;renchsd defending army
of from twenty to thirty thousand-tbe
line Of battle reaching for several miies
the struggle 1eeriug 10 and fro as posi-
siIions are taken or lost the woods and
ravines echoiDg with the crack Of thou
sands Of rifles and the boom Of at least
seventy pieces Of artillery on each side.
Desperate sorlies are batteries are
taken, relaken and lost again fresh le.
giment succeeds regiment tn the fierce
struggle, and in one case sally is made
with the most determined purpose by
some ten thousand men of the beseiged
force to cut their way lhrough-an at
tack which is finally repuIsed with great
loss. They are three gloomy deplorable
days in the natural world though for.
ever glorious in our history. The tough
soldiers Of the West fight amid rain. and
sleet, and snow5 they lie down on the
frozen ground or in the snow at night
and it is believed that many OF thu
wounded are frozen to death. r f- 20
They have little food or rest during
thosB fearful days; even their blankets az
usually the case in battle. have been a.
bandoned, and they are exposed to all
the inclemency Of the season. Their ma.
val allies are beaten back, and the attack
must depend alone on them. while the
enemy has strong and difficult position
But they never think for a moment Of
Withdrawing, or giving up the assault
They have set themselves down before
Fort Donelsou to take ii, and like tbs
true SONS. as most Of them are, they vii
not give it up till they have done it,
Each common soldier knows that tn
whole course of American history per
haps the life Of the Union depends OF
the result of those hard-fought days
The dead fall ir heaps under the desper
ate opsets of the beseiged.
III One regiment but Que hundred aht
sixteen men came out Of the Struggle uu
harmed. One captain reports that ou
of lis company Of eighty.seven brav,
men only nine ever returned. The pro
portion Of officers killed is immense =
The battle is finally decided BY the bay
onet. aud position Is won which is tn
key of the enemy's entrenchments. Th
Tennessee regiments have not the slight
est disposition TO die in the last ditch,
or to meet in a desperate handto ban'
encounter With force whose number thei
fears have SO exaggerated. They hay,
no great heart in this "duholy war; snc
they surrender il mass. ~
What our losses are on these gloriou
days it is impossible yet to say. w
learn that single division = General Nc
Clearnands -counts 500 in killsd, woun
ded, and missing II is said that a!mos
every home in Southern Illinois and In
diana mourns lost one; and that a dar
cloud of grief bangs over the battle fell
tS thousands Of Western families. :" u,
To the nation. it is the breaking Q
morning after,a long night of disasters
Fort Donelson determips the destiny /
the Mississippi Valley. and probably tn
, fate Of this gigantic rebellion. Plain me
fathers, brothers, lovers, sons wen
; out from prairie farms and Western Worh
shops. counting rooms, and thete in tn
snowclad ravines by the Cumberland
i, > each by himself, offered up lie as dea
to him as ours TO u.s. for this county,
They sleep in their cold shroads ther'
that we may enjoy comforts and priv
leges here. They have borne cold, an
frost. and storm; they have met tile fur
0 Of the cannon blast; they have charge
$ on the deadly breach that We might hav
q a free and honored government. A thor
j. sand homes are desoiate. Gray hare
y aus s 'Vus "nv ",' ' pS.S ~ ~;
oNeu mo,ueas' ~ Ios ss.. % Ash ~ nf,,f. M h.,
n I auu cu,n ~ a",h s, -. ,hass' | o',.to 80 tsal
'el gone IortH 10 uea'u 0n Una' iuihiV' e"i he"