Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-02-25
The Fight at Fort Donelson.
FoRr DoxELsoy, Tenn. Feb. I, 1868

FORT OONELSON, lem. EGO- , lCoO.
Editors Chronicle: Some account of the
fight at this place, on the Sd instant, in
which one of your former fellow citizens,
Capt Philo Z. Reed, of the SD Illinois
volunteers, fell, a sacrifice to the MolOch
OF Rebellion, may not be unacceptable to
your readers.
Our forces have partly fortified and oc-
cupy the old, war-desolated town of Do
yer, once q town of some note, being the
county seat of Stewart county, and lying
on the banks of the Cumberland, a mile
above the Fort proper, which latter has
never been occupied by US since its cap<
ture bv Gen. Grant. 1t has no advanta-
ges save as it commands the approaches
from below The garrison, at the time OF
the attack, consisted Of nine companies
of the SD Illinois, two sections of FloOd's S
Illinois battery, and part of company
of the 5th Iowa cavalry, under Col. \. G..
Harding, of the SD Illinois. Besides
our four brass field pieces, we had one
80 pound siege gun in position. This
handful of men-600 all told was at
tackled by 4,500 mounted rebels, with IL
guns. under Major General Wheeler and
Brigadier Generals Forest and -. The
rebels extended their line of attack in a
senicircle, three miles long, from river to
river again, thus completely surrounding
the place. After thus formidably dis
playing his strength, and vigorously bonn
harding the town from four batteries,
placed in as many different positions, the
enemy sent in flag of truce, demanding
the unconditional surrender OF the place.
To this Colonel Harding replied, that he
{" had come all the way from Illinois on
purpose to fight Just such traitors, and
should do it as long as he had man
left"
The fight was resumed, our men re-
sponded rapidly, and with murderous ef-
feet to the rebel artillery, and promptly
repulsing the numerous and impetuous
charges made upon them. Several times
the rebels, dismounted, succeeded IN
gaining the principal houses, from which
they fired upon our men; but they were
soon driven out or captured, at the point
of the bayonet, by the men of the gal
liant SD. Three times they charged up
the hill to capture a portion OF Floods
battery, which was supported by compa-
nv A of the S3d. Three times they re-
coiled before the unerring rifles OF our
bovs. but in the third charge Capt. Reed
fell struck in the breast by mimic ball
He was in the act of firing his revolver
when a rebel, who had gained the shelter
of a tent, singing the Captain as a con-
spieuous mark, aimed the fatal shot, and
the latter fell dead without a word or a
groan. A moment later, his murderer's
life-blood spurted from death-wound at
the hands of an avenging sergeant who
stood near his fallen leader. Never has
such fighting been excelled since the
days of Leonidas yet it was conducted
with little or no regsrd to Hardee, and
without regularity. Each company and
each SQUAD fought wherever it deemed
itself most needed; each man fired,
without regard to his neighbor, and
whenever he saw an opportunity to hurt
n rebel. To no other fact can l attribute
the repeated and bloody repulse, by our
little band, of force outnumbering them
eight to one. Had Colonel Harding for
once formed his men in line of battle,
the place would have been in rebel hands
in half an hour. At one time, two Texan
Rangers, crazed by powder-whislky from
their canteens, and with more daring
than discretion, dashed up to the little
circle of earthwork surrounding the big
gun" and furiously, revolver in hand,
demanded its instant surrender, yelling
as they endeayored to force their horses
over the ditch and up the embankment,
. You Cd id Yankee sons of BIS,
surrender that gun! Z" Yes, sir" sung
out the gun corporal, at the same mo-
ment swerving the gun to the proper
point, and pulling the string. Receiving