The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-02-24
FORT DOEELsOE.

Tko President iD 8 special message 10 Oeh-
gress states in Substance that he was surPEis
cd that such comnand should have been
surreudercd to tho enemy without desperate
effort to force lie wsy out, and that he had
suspended Generals Floyd and Pillow, untiII
ne could oil lain further information, and the
War Department addressed an interrogatCry
70 those Generals to ascertain the reason Of the
fauro to eyacuatc Fort Donelson, when they
found they could not hold It, and why they
transferred the command to a junior General,
instead Of executing themselves whaisvtr
measure was deemed necessary for tho entire
army
IN tho month Of January 6s2, General Buel
vas moving 10 tho direction Of Nashville by
way Of Bouling ereen, with an army reported
10 The War Department at $4,000. General
Grant was moving up the Tennessee and Cum
bsrland rivers with feet Of GunbOats and
largo army; tho two being tho arnies which
united at Shiloh.
Gen. johnson dispatched four Brigadiers.
Floyd Pillow. Buckner. and B. r. johnson with
less ,han 10000 effective men, officers and
men being equal TO any he had 40 he stated;
he hadproviously dispatched Col Glmor then
Chief Of the Engineer Department ofthe West
now Chief Engineer Of tho Confederate States
ior the purpose Of superRiendinE tho con
Mruction Of rSoper defensive works on the
Cumberland and Tennessee rivers he arrived
at Fort Henry on tho Slst Of January and ro.
NAMED in that qaarter Till the fall of Fort
Donelson. and accompanied Gen. Pillow and
staff from ihero 10 Nashville. according ia his
report This report states that Fort Henry on
tho Tennessee river. was surrendered 20 the
enemy on the 9Th day Of February 1862, aitsr
vigo Gus attack byguuloais There wa" .
land force Of 5000 men ready to ss'operate
with the guntoas in tho reduction Of the
place. The fetal Confederate force consisted
Of about $500 mrn according to Col. Gilmer
$500 according to Col Heimsu. Gen. Thigh.
nan, ;he officer in command with about 100
men surrendered to the enemy; the lamented
Col FIeiman made his escape to Fort Donelson,
orihc town Of Dover, on the south aldo Of the
Cumberland river, twelve miles distant frsm
Fort Henry with about z7OO men.
Col. Gilmer states that "the fall Of Fort Hen.
~ and tho power Of the enemy 10 strike Of
nncs with strong force at Fort Danolaon,
made Il necessary that the army At Bowling
Green should be Withdrawn to po' which
would secure a prompt paesage Of the Cam
berland"
The Tennessee river waR now open for She
passage Of gupboais and transports to the Dor.
ders Of Mississippi and Alabama.
The day a tier the fall Of Fort Henry on Fri.
day tho 9Th Of February, Gen. johnson order
cd that preparation DO madO 70 syaenatr
Bowling Green, The army began to march on
Tueaday" and passed the Cumberland river at
Nashville on the 10th Sunday the day on
which the surrender took place at Donslson.
Brig General y. r.. johnson arrived on the
Bth. Brig,Goneral Pillow. whoae brigade waa
II Columbus, was ordered to Donelaon. and
arrived on The 9Th, three days after tho fall ci
fort Henry and took command.
Col. Gnmer states that Gen. Pillow took i'm
mediate steps to inform himself Of the charac.
Ter oi lho dsienccs, that having received rein
scrcsmenie and others being daily expected
the lines &c infantry cover were extended 90 aS
10 .mbrars the town Of Dover that The bat
tartar for llS river deionces we're slrengthsn
al ans ea additional force Of arilcripts were
ordered to the dcsenoes. On tho l2lh General
Bnckner arrived and aided with zeal ard en-
srsy IN tho defensive works.
0nih lslh, Con Floyd arrived aud assumed
command. being authorized by Gen. A. s
Johnson, a taku commaad Of the forces ant
"naks suoh disposition a. in ms judgmen
might asem beat"
Il "a inlcrablo from Con. Floyds letter Il
Con. Johnson, dalcd on the i2Ih, at ClarEovil!c
Rat ne supposed that the object Of holding tn
soN,ion below Nashville, was to enable Gen
Johnston 10 rasa to the south bank Of tho Cnm
, borland With hls army before the arrival 0
gunbosN a. that place
Col. CHnior e'eios luai On he 18th TN
suemy attempted to storm ibo cntTenchmenis
but after yigorona opset they wero repulscd
that en tlio iilh ne river batteries were a.
tackled as seven gunboaie; that they etcadil,
advanced until they camo within three hundre'
yards tolhsre cay ems hundred and hiiy9 iba
after most terrific struggle they we're ahas
tered and ropulsed and took no further par
in the reduction Of eairlson ihetpoia NM