, 1870-01-23
TIE LAST SHOT FIRED AT
DONELS0N.

TIE LAST SHOT FIRED AT
DONELS0E.
An Incident OF the War
BY GENERAL MARTIN bKKA
Tdtsfn for The cAtcd3o Ttibunk.
One bright moonlight Right In tho lastex part Of
ySoyeubet 1866, the decks OF 1he beautiful steamer
COLORADO, California- -bo1nd, we1e cleared for
dauce Just n she struck the Galf Of Tehuantepec-
Tnss gut IL the buRbear OF lhe Pacific cosst, ~
Aor Hstteras vi that Of the Atlantic The wind,
AVIAN sweeping through the gap IN the Coast
Ranec there, lzsned the Ocean into white-cspa Is
IRA entered, hoEIed and whlsted through th6
cnrdann Of the yessel, and prevented tbs dance.
"a the NV was cleaT, oor ship new. we'll omeeFed
and manned, no danger wal felt; And. after
= crulse and swestes for fortnight
undee . tropical Gun. those VINO could
In the pIoazuro experienced II barring their heAds
u he refreshing breeze. The dsnct broken up.
the paasenEers amused Themselves ~ fancy auH-
rcsted or taste inclined Some found pleasure In
r SQUIRTING the breeze aoore, others the ladle1 b.
No.. anoA 9hIls Z teu amused themselves rsluiy
tTy,ne TO pull the f0Sssa N tho IsGng
srssght against tho wh4 qolsa .
eroup diverted themselves IN omy
nautcA way BY telling stories and sing99Rs
EnOE&, Ii kAla kAo44 W@@0 ~ Al RAe s@~'s.A ~
cers, Spaniards, and civilians. and among the
lkter waA youpg man, former colposA Oh
tu5su115, 9no told this stop: ..
believe tho nrst shot was dfed ny Commo'
doEe aFocte from his hottlA; but aaide
from opening the bxl, his neet
dIdnr help II much They were driven
30 tr down the Cumberland by the guns from
the main 1ort that most Of their shot fell
abort or cTp1odcd IN the air. mention this TO
d,sshufe the minds Of any present who may labor
u1der the impression that they are entitled to the
nonm Of esptur1ng tho fort, which many think.
The GUnboats TOOK Fmt Henry, supported By the
land forces; II Fort Donelsou this was tnEs
tcye1sed. Nov to my sto,5- Saturday night
the lstt night OF the GleRe, while standing around
a bivouao nre, With 4 group OF other soldiers,
carvAHtng the days struggle, and the prospect
OF the succeeding one. the Hospital Steward OF
The Second iowa approached and sAked us TO
accompany HIN Into the tort TO rescue
eoDe wounded yet uneared for. The
lighting during the day had been
The hardest yet, commencing early In the morning
and lasting until night, when the t1oops On both
Ndeswerc 70 worn thRt hosrlllues were Suspended
by mutuxl consent, The prisoners taken In tho
eally part OF the day were found to have thar
haye1sActs well nled, which vas evidence cou-
-c!qsye In the eyoa Of our commander OF thelf In
tention 10 reEekt That straT, small as 1t whs.
made him resolve to "push thiugs" and enfotoe
AN immediate End uucenditiopal surrender"
The works on their LETT bAd to be @torDsd, and
General Charles F. Smith Wa Selected to lead
foriosn hope sgalnss them. His command was
tkkeu from the Second Division. Na.ursl'y btayo
and ensolute, they were made additionally elective
for epch WORK by the e1poauIe Just Undergone,
ub.sh made them a reckless and desperate At
Xecorhan4 Creeks. That ThulEday night OF the
eie9e quAllned ali OF ps. not survivor Of 1t, 70
long ~ memory lassa, VIII eves forget II, rain,
AtxVR hfN1 UaH
Aldca during the day. Floyd Arriving that night
with hu .ebei fe1nlofcements, our blankeU back
at Fort Henry, nres forbidden after dark, single
cracker for \ day1 tauors, coupled with dsenen-
ing ead chilling raiu- II yo1 viii let your fancy
etrrtch oTes all Of this, Jou viii have bid s-eJe
view OF our sltuAr1oE. Oar teeth ratified Like cAs'
taoez, onr knees beat tattoos, while our tongues.
{mtne excepted, Of cour1e) like the army In Flau.
ders, sxore terribly. The oasns. TOO, differed
from those OF ShandyN men and noVice, In this,
they were Lot dls1ted. In shDrt, that night made
uA despelate; and as we were cfosed IN mas&
on The afternoon OF Saturday, preparing to storm
the works, the hoatile bayones bfiss1lng over the
pa1npets On the heights above, the cannon rnouthl
prutrudlng through the eubraEufes, the eherdu1
dJtiss, the noat,s, graptEiDea, and telegraph
wires tngeniou4ly laid In aud wound around the
hillside orer which the bloody charge was soou
to be made, didn't even Gauss LIP 10 4ui7cr
nor cheek to b!anch among us.
The Genera! rode to the ce1t1e, pointed to tn.
works, remtned 10 they were IN the hands
the enemy, should be In ours, and closed by ex'
pressing dea1rc to have the company OF every
otlcer and man while he went for them. II
was lacouic: and General StafkH addreas to th
Green Mountain Bnys, when he polntsi - Bur-
Eoyne's British and told them they had x
be licked or Molly STARK would sleep {
widow that Might" wa hardly more 20. Tns
E1gnal given, wilder ard noEo Wlnugl!
XTAStS rrr n nfYr q "
charged up that hill, tore away and 1eaped owe
obstacles, shed Cur oycrcoat1 when caught by tn
hh4ypened limbs and stakes, paid 10 heed TO tn
dead that fell Ike KTass ne1nsu The scJthe, instant
~ closed the fearful Eapa 1naae By thets plongtn
fire, and never halted nor uasered bpt once, An
thea shout half Way np-and only for moment
TIE eacrince had already bean great and It ahoul
not be in vain. Then on We went again
-Thru' that dread he'll fire OF shr.pnrl snd shcu
Ih1o' without i.,ternk. clesf thso' NTH yel.4
unl1 the heights were gained. There resars
voley o. TIC e1s@y mst gs &c r,la laugh
and cleared with bound, the ahatia tom eNa
and paIapet ecnled: gaps we're mhde through the
baJonets by unknown WlukeIteide End Inatanti
nlled BY the renasning 1ews Enort hzod-to-hRu
contest and thss bloody gorge was ouEa!
Dut now dearly we paid for I'll Ouly 6kelcto
btrtal!on mere haEdIul LEFT Of that sol!d phalan
aHa{ed = few moments before n the foot OF th
hill. This testified how well We were fnngt
BY BucIners Kentucky Brigade, who op7osed u
The capture Of the gorge was only foothoi
for futtteT 1ghtlrg, which WIS very desperate
AID lasted foz several hours, night ending 4
Du, here, I've again dsg1essed from my story.
Many OF us volunteered to so with the uobl
Steward, and altrgilg ca1tecn OF coffee an
another OF water arouEd NJ. We started on o1
elr2nd OF mercy. Slowly vending our way up th
hllislce over which vc had 80 A1e)y charged
Picking our way between the cesd tnicKly 6tre VI
pn the snow-covtred ground. last az they fell, tnt
rays Of the full moon casting halo wed sheer
orer their faces, The gurg- reached and counter
ngn exchanged With the hau frozen sentry, VI
entered aud listened. Everything inside VIZ
client No noans or shf1els for help or water,
a. ] have heard on Msny bRt'fe-1ecs since. gratet
On or cArz. So,t,1R but the crazy rattle OF
few frozen b1alcata overhead narfed the death
Ike stiffness,
"lst us d~p|oy ard every one Keep his eyes ans
cars oreu," wtEe onr Instructions IRON the Stew
ards delivered IL a monotone, and with them
moved k1owly A:ocH tho crest Of the hill toward
group OF tents within sight When near them
psute AID listened, n faccied heard a low
stsned moan cog ting from one Of them xonder
ednI could have tecn mihtaten. Was 1t i" ON
more unfortunate IN his death agon1cS, or bu
the night Wind waite through the uees sghlni
AIequ1ern over the k1lert dend reered Into tn.
feEt all perforated With ballet holes, and sav
1otn:rg bus what appeared to be sono blanket
rolled toge:her, and, recetving no answer to nj
Inquiry. "1s there any body in here :" noyed OF
q few pacea and paused again 10 listen, when the
Barne sad DnAn came directly from the tent hAt
Just left The rays Of the raoou through the dool
and h0lIet-holes gave me sufficient light when
entered. ApProachluR one or the rolls Of blauket
felt OFT, AID cnld shycr nirted through my
S1ame when found that had placed my hand
On the face Of oorase! started, mud, siter rally.
Ing. turned to examine the two other rolls, one