The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-16

far been oied In every attempt Their dsnaA Is Tor
words alone They had also been convinced that herc
was evidently great disparity IN ho number u g Ned
and wounded In the two combating forces While TIA ar
dead encumbered the ground they could see that
hund had been but little dimnlshed in number. THIS
was certainly sufficient 70 make towards brave made
these men reckless.
An order was given capture. il possible, and silence
the thirty two FOUNDER gun, from which the rebels
bad received 30 many unhealthy compliments.
The attempt made. II was approaching
10 the hour Of dusk The storm Of and sleet that
during the part OF the day had been falling had blown
past and the sky clear The setting party
or the bravest led by an officer on horseback, had
been selected to stop The ca!nage made BY that gun
detour made. and IN attempt 70 Tank the
prize put in execution. For once the artilisrymsu
working the prize paused in their labors
aney double shotted the gun with grape and canister
Inc rebels approached. They had stu been under the
nnpw;ns eAs this gun could not change II; mot
marched boldly up tho northern side cambered
Of acm upon the bank but the greater number remained
peow while tho officer on horseback somewhat in rort,
hailed the officer Of the squad sitting asride his horse
ono hand cuschod in The animals wane, the other
"Mhy in hell don't you surrender, you Yankee cdrsess
You know you are whipped Surrender or no surrender
The rebels advanced sixh.iy the gun was quickly
swung about It's musze a. quickly depressed and in
second more its discharge was hoard It s horrifyng
describe the havoc made BY that single er OF the Ian
yard Of that dozen men fell dead in their
tracks pierced through and through The officer
the NEXT day that hole had bsen made in his chest
larger than his hsts his arm and leg were broken
his side cut through aud one leg fractured and mangsd
receiving the shohis soul entering all unprepared, TO
It's Maker. The horse had sy bullets in It. When that
officer was laid IN the grave on the 4th his death grasp
had tghened upon tho Of the horse add could not
be cosened It was cut sway and he inferred clasp
log the hairs In his cienohed hand
or second attempt made 10 take that gun
ASSISTANTS
Night had At last como on apace and stu the devoted
garrison had received or the promised reinforce
men's Tho robots preparing, Col Harding saw for
. final attn0k. Thor0 was but little ammunition left
me enemy we're sormingtneir right ress'og upon tho
They had undoubtedly received some fresh troops from
some place, and wore now to put them 70 uSe At this
pont-to rcndcr what followed perfectly pain-let
leave the fort and descend 70 Smithand where force
was waiting from which Col loves promised aid mus.
come
On tho morning or tho Sd General Boards reinforce
mcnts for General Rosecrans, consisting OF some Eve
lying calmly at Smithanf awaiting necessary
preparations for departure This feet In convoy OF
eet Of light dranght gunboats under the command Of
Captain Leroy Fitch Of Indiana, tho hagbnat being the
Faipay The wooden gunboat Lexington was also along
The Following steamers and commanders comprised tho
remainder Of the Aolast Clair, Captain j. s. Hurd Of
kentucky Brilliant aptain Chas G. Perkins Of cincin
natl, Silver Lake. Captain Robert Reley, Of Penn
syvsns and Kooo Captain Joshua Candy o.
thought, for the safe conduct Of the men and
stores TO tho army o. tho Cumberland While
d ".
Clair. who was N .horc for some purpose. noticed
logging his footsteps an aged and white haired man
Who o aa . 70 pesx n hm h
the old erdcaood to learn the destination Of the feet
and the time Of its departure Being upon his guard tho
day This apparently satisfied nterrogater, and
departed II proyiientia circumstance that the
pilot told this person ras.hood For among the dead
on the baltic field the ensuing Day he upon this
gray headed aged man. He stark and stir in
death. lilo was undoubtedly a SPY, AS upoa his per.
FL s'i .ssss tss ! Rsss: %: a nd
and onter Their lines He had undoubtedly conveyed the
aud the rebels hal hastened " capture Fort Doneson,
that they might also hold It, and perhsps be enabled 70
take the transports also. or sink them at least delay che
arrival OF supplies and men at General Rosecraus rendsz
The feet OF gunboats and transports left Smhland
during the day and passed into tho vicinity q tho fort
When About twenty miles from TINT place they
by despatch beat bearing request from Colonel Lowe
that the gunbats would hasten to Doneson and pos
sibe, give aid 10 Colonel Harding. who reported
sorey by large force Of rebels and could hardly
hold out until evening.
TIKI GuNBcAr FLEET
Captain Fitch nowisA slow IN complying with this
request. leaving tho transports 70 fast
they could no ordered all tho gunbosts put much
allowable anmake all possible speed 10 the
COMES
II eight uccck in tho evening when the gunboata
within sight or the Of conflict They dh moi
wait for the rebels TO lee, but at took position
and opened upon them they occupying the position II
which We let them, aud Just about to make
but not dshe.rt garrison. II was most sublime
spectacle that ensued The reLes continued their
upon the federas within the cnciosre aud in fact made
weak attempt TO answer the gunboa,s But the shot
shell and shrapBe from the latter was rained in upon
them In perfect torrent and III the first Few
sch,rg-s from the Fairplay. which commenc-
cd the ball. and the Lexington which fol.
lowed, their men were falling rapidly, some
killed, but terribly wounded and dlsabled. This
would not do The rebels had Kept up attack from
two until cght had fought hard, had boon continually
pulsed. had suffered great loss. and gun
beats in just they 60 reach the rsaiza,ar
or their wishes, and the fort about be surrendered
to them. was past human endurance. But these dark
sided moving batteries were inexorable fate
They were there, aid, what 70 the point
they were Mt work in earnest. Colonel Har
had. at the commencement of the ordered
his led men to crowd together among the buildings
inside the fort aud occupy little possbehs
position having be signalzed Capt. Fitch, that tney
might be injured by their drc This donc. Fol
q minutes-but not for length of tinc-the rebel
force stood their ground Then the pauc seized them and
they broke and scattered like hungry
pack OF wolves. They carried their wounded only with
them, leaving their dead ed upon the field The
battle Colonel Harding and his gallant garrison
saved and saved in time
TiB gKnYiS, ETC.
Among the dead rebels, two hundred OF whom were
number OF arned prisoners The gray haired spy
alluded to buried with the The son Of pr, M
neat Nashville banker Who had but recently taken the
oath OF allegiance to the United States also killed
and the paper found upon his corpse
The killed 10 Cd Hardings force but eleven His
wo nded numbered forty or fifty. The rebel loss in
wounded can My be specuated upon but may placed
at two hundred This disparity In numbers argues well
for the part taken in the fight by the troops and the gun
boats Some thirty OF the bodies Of the rebels
In .osit,on where fighting had occurred with the land
forces and they have their death from the pro
ectes from tho gunboats The commanders are
unanimous IN their praise OF the pluck and courage Of Col
Harding and his and the latter free TO confess
that bad rot their allies appeared just proper
ment Fort Doneson must have passed again rebel