The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-02-25
FIELD ORDERS Ar DONELsON.
Eloquent Oticial Tribute to the Victors
Headquarters First Division, !
Fort Donelson, Feb. Is, 1862. J
FIELD ORDER 40. llj.


FIELD ORDER 40. l4j.
officers and men ofthe FIRST Dirision Of the
Adrance forces
You have continually led the way in the
valley Of the lower Mississippi, the fennes.
see and the Cumberland. You have carried
the flag of the union further south than any
other land forces marching from tho interior
towards the seaboard
Being the first division to enter Fort Hen.
ry, you also pursued the enemy for miles,
capturing from him in his flight six field
pieces many of his standards and flags,
number of prisoners and Il great quantity OF
military stores.
Following the enemy to this place, you
were the first to encounter him outside Of his
entertainments and to drive him within them.
Pursuing your advantage, the next day.
ing on the right, you advanced upon his lines,
in the face of his works and batteries, and for
the time silenced them.
The next day, diminishing all along his
| left, you daringly charged upon his redouts,
under deadly fire Of grape aud canister and
were only prevented from taking them by
natural obstacles and the accumulated mass
es which were hurried forward to defend
them.
The next day you extended your right IN
the face Of newly erected batteries quite to
the Cumberland, thus investing his works for
nearly two miles.
The next day, after standing under arms
for two days and nights, amid driving storms
OF snow and rain, and pinched by hunger, the
enemy advanced III force to open the way to
| his escape. BY his own confession, formed in
a column of ten successive regiments, he
concentrated his attack upon a single point.
You repulsed him repeatedly from o'clock
to | o'clock II. m, often driving back his
formidable odds.
Thus, after three days fighting, when your
ammunition was exhausted, you Tell back un
til it came up, aud re formed q second line in
his face.
Supported by fresh troops, under the leaC
of brave and able officer, the enemy wa'
again driven back, and by combined advance
from all sides, was again defeated. Ills un
conditional surrender the next day completed
the victory.
Undiverted by any attack for near four
hours from any other part of our lines, the
enemy was left to concentrate his attack with
superior numbers upon yours. Thus while
you were engaged for a longer time than any
other Of our forces, you were subject to much
greater loss.
The battle field testiies to your valor and
constancy. Even the magnanmity OF the
enemy accords to you an unsurpassed hero
ism, and an enviable and brilliant share in the
hardest fought battle and most decisive vic
tory ever fought and won on the American
continent.
Your trophies speak for themselves they
consist of many thousand prisoners, 40 pieces
of cannon, and extensive magazines of al
kinds of ordnance, quartermaster's and com
missary stores.
The death knell of rebellion is sounded al
army has been ahnihilated, and the way t.
Nashville and Memphis is opened This mo
mentous fact, should, as it will, encourage
you to persevere in the path of glory. l
must alleviate your distress for your Draw
comrades who have fallen or been wounded
1t will mitigate the grief of bereaved wlve
and mourning parents and kindred 1t viii
be your claim to q place in the affections o
your countrynen and upon blazoned pag'
of history. BY order of
Brig Gen. McCLERNAND, Cong.
A. SCHWARTZ,
Capt. and Asst Chief of Staff.