The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-02-22
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II is about time that another wsif from my
yagrant pea should be waited TO your saRcturn
The ,econd battle Of Donelson has been
( fought, and although moi to be compared with
the Frat, twas not an unimpOrtsnt affair For
the second time in this war the classic ground
Of DorelseR ard the rough hills and hollows
about Dover have been watered by the blood
Of Southern martyrs. As the news reaches us
imperfectly. We cannot yet Judge imperative
Ily in regard TO the action which has iakon
place there between Whseler's Cavalry and
the enemy strongly entrenched at Dover; but
We cannot but express our aStonishment at the
attack, and cannot but believe that il was en-.
tirely unnecessary and 10 no purpose, What
did General wheeler expect to do after he
had taken the Fort' He could certainly not
have held It against gunboats with his eaval.
ry force. What was the attack made fort
merely to fight to be fighting, and to be able TO
brag about the courage Of our dismounted cav.
alters, whs stormsd the Dover heights on foot
as well as any infantry could have done itY
Many men, ssme say 2sO and odd were killed
and wounded on our side in this encounter
We drove the enemy from the place at fear.
full sacrifice of life but as it was we'll known
that an attack would be made on that day. the
Yankees had wisely sent three gunboats down
the river, and they appeared in sight about
the time We we're entering victoriousy intoI
Dover; they shelled us furiously and soon
drove the whole Southern force OF into the
hills Of Dixon. ! am glad 10 hear that Genei-
al Forest emphaticaly stated that he wanted
it distinctly understood that this was not his
fight, and that,he considered the attack mid
dcious. Our troops fought we'll, as they gen
orally do, but what is all this carnage for
Why do we dismount our cavalry to charge
breastworks ? understand that the breast !
works were actually also charged by mounted
men. Our troops were commanded by Ma
jor General, the enemy by Colonel. General
Wheeler was made Major General upon the
strength Of his first raid to the Cumberland
river, where he did we'll; he was presume
promoted especially upon the strength of be-
ing West Pointer, and pet of Gep Bragg;
and Generals Forrest and Morgan were entire
ly over looked and ignored Now that the
young Major General, the youngest in the ser
vice, has won his laurels let him sec to them
carefully, and try to keep ttca'j one more blum
der like this foolish Donelson affair and they
are lost to him, as far as the opinion Of the
public is concerned,
Morgan and Forest have made the cavalry
in the West what it is, They have used it to
the right purpose by striking at the enemy
rapid bloss at vSlaerqbIe points, at a great dis
tance from each ether, by rapid movements,
If our western light and irregular cavalry, the
" Bed0uns" Of America, whish is now our
boast, is to be fought in the way it was fought
lately at Doneson, it will sSon loose all its Of.
fciency, at the gSry ime when it is worst
needed. understand the plan of the TeD.
Aessee campaign this winter to be, to allow the
enemy to advance TO the line Of Duck river
for the purpose Of giving our cavalry more
scope to harrass his rear, to disturb his com.
muncations with Nashville, and to operate on
the Cumberland river by destroying Transports
and not by charging breastworks in sight Of
gunboats. Such thing would be entirely un-
heard Of and considered absurd in the army Of
Virginia, but presume the army Of Tennes'
see must keep mp its we'll earned reputation o.
fighting 10 no purpose.
II General AOfgan would command our
cavalry in the west, position he is seminently }
qualified for, suck things would not h0ppenhs
he has proved himself again to be thorough
cavalry oitoer, born probably for that purpose
and possessing the proper genius for iast such
kind of service in tho western campaign,
genius which hundred years spentot West
Point could not give to another man.
But to aAothcr topic. / cannot help seeing
the difference between the inhabitants in dif-
srent States Of tho South, Tennosseeans have
been charged with being lukewarm, undecided
and disunited IN this war, and tho charge was
made that "they do not fight" This charge
has undoubtedly been set at rest by tho ad-
nirable lighting done at Perryvillo aud Muir
frseSboro, and will never be made again. That
indSmitable hero "JOhn Happy" is a witness
that on the memorable field Of Fishing Creek
ssme Tsnns@eeanS did not Sight and allowed
the "old twontieth" and the "bIoody fifteenth"
to be cul to pieces There it.was where his-