Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-01


ed In the Confederate camp Gen
Buckner advised an i'm mnediate al
tempt OF the garrison 70 cut its wa,
\ out, proposing to cover the retrea
with, his own division. While h
was getting his command ready 70
Etheiexecution eff this plan FiOyC
ID and Pillow determined to counter
mand the order, therefore measure
OF different character were conse
quentfy adopted" = essA 7
During all this time Col. Cruft',
. brigade. composed of the 17th anC
e 25th Kentucky, and the 3lst anC
q 44th Indiana regiments, was el
4 route, on board of transports, to re
inforce Grant. This brigade had
been In canpa Calhoun On Green
river for come time, and outside ol
q camp duty and a brief insight into
the drill, knew but little Of soldier
life. The brigade had gone to Fort
Henry, on the Tennessee, but ar
Z rived there just after the eapitula-
! tion., Orders were immediately
!, issued to Col. Cruft to return to Pa
" ducah Arriving at that place or
ders were received to proceed i'm
|
: kre-inforce Grant, who was at that
time battling with the enemy.
! In short time the transports
bearing this gallant brigade were
sailing up the beautiful sCumber-
land, but under an ordinary head
of steam. On Friday, about noon,
when twenty-five or thirty miles
below Doneison, large tow-boat
was seen coming down, the river
under a full head OF steam, and in a
short time she signaled the fleet.
Alongside of her was Il small tug,
and from this orders were delivered
to each of the transports to- hurry
up; that Grant was in need OF re-
Inducements. Whistles were blown,
more steam turned on, and in a few
| minutes the great steamers were
4 blowing the waters with twice the
rapidity they had done before. A
little after noon the transports were
landed at the right bank of the
river and the disembarking COM
menced. ga6 fh y
While this was. going on Commo-
dOre Foote'S fleet of iron-clads
! moved up the river in echelon, with
d wood gunboat in the rear, and
opened a furious fire upon the Com
federate water-batteries. A terrific
scene ensued, and three of the mon
sters were soon disabled. Such
cannonading had never been heard
before in the history of American
warfare. The great guns on the
irOn-clads made the very waters
tremble, While those on the bank,
of equal or greater calibre, made
the great hills shiver as with a chill.
- Aftersal two hours engagement
the naval fleet drew away seriously
injured, having dismantled one or
two OF the Confederate guns. Col.
Cruft's brigade was now on the
march around, the Fort to take po- |
sitiOn on the extreme right of the
Federal army, above the town of
Dover. The march was Il long one,
over tremendous hills, rocky slopes
and marshy, muddy flats. The
slush and snow added ten-fold to the |
disagreeableness of the tramp, and !
the men were not long in realizing |
that their lives as soldiers had now
really begun. s ss
,Plodding along over the SUBMITS |
the Fort and the town of Dover the /
soldiers were frequently reminded,
by the .whizzIng of cannon balls, /
that they We're in the enemy's |
country and that their lives were |
in momentary danger. Many times
these frightening IRON missiles |
would, after a report of the gun in |
the Fort, come crashing through |
the tree tops, causing men to halt, /
dodge and squat. Abuot twilight I
or perhaps a Iittleafter, Col. Ufaft's i
command was halted for the night
about one mile back from the river
and above, the town OF Dover, The i
cold and storm of this night were
more severe than those of the pre- i
ceding night. A bitter north wind |
set in with the night, accompanied I
with sleet and snow, and yet the
soldiers had to submit without the
comforting warmth of a fire. A
fire was kindied and before it had
begun TO blaze cheerfiIlly report
of cannon was heard, and in the
twinkling of an eye came the iron
messenger of death crashing thrO'
tree tops only a short distance away.
Orders were issued to smother the
fire and to build no more. 1t snow
ed and sleeted during the entire
night, and to keep from freezing
the men were necessarily compelled
to exercise in every way possible. :
While the Federals found theIn-
selves in this terrible condition, the {
were none the better
off. They were freezing in their
trenches while their Generals were
in grave consultation over what 4
should be done on the morrow. The {
question was, should they remain
and renew the conflict, or evacuate l
the Fort and retreat to Nashville.
They were greatly exhausted and !
knew well, without re-inforcements
they could not possibly hold out l
beyond another day. The question
was freely debated, and it was at
length determined to abandon the IL
Fort and gain the open country l
toward Nashville. 1t was great b
for starving garrison, |
with the toll of battle,
stiff with ice, hands and
feet benumbed and frost bitten, and
withal very inadequately armed and
equipped.
Saturday morning came and with {
the break of day vigorous attack c
was made upon the Federal right.
The awfully grand clatter of small i
arms and rapid laundering reports j
Of cannon was intensely exciting to I
listen to but dreadfully demOraliz- d
ng to stand before. Cruft's brigade, i
which had encamped over a mile {
rom the Cumberland river and
half mile from the now scene of ,
action, was called up and ordered '
20 proceed to the front Immediately. :,
rhe excitement of the hour seemed .
% soothe the frozen spirits of the /
ooys-and yet, after a sleepless night I
md unabated exercise to keep from h
reezing, it must be confessed that d
hese men who, fifteen hours before, d
lad disembarked from the cabins "
)f comfortable steamboats,, were in a
Door condition to meet an enemy a
which had been, by actual expert. i
,nce, hardened aud used to the ele- Il
nents at that time most damaging t
o the human constitution. AT the [
of Gen. James Shackel- 8
ord, who commanded the 25th /
Kentucky. his regiment was given Q
he lead, the 31st Indiana next, the /
7th Kentucky next, and the 44th {