The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-16
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
FORT DONELSON.
Present Aspect of the Field of that Famous Fig

was stormy one ana d tDln layer OF me SHOW
covered the ground, while the Thermometer
registered about two degrees below zero. Al.
together the weather was not unlike the time
when. y years ago. our army lay ola its arms
in trout OF the Notifications beyond the little
town of Dover Tenn, at whose wharf the
steamer W. ii. Cherry was about 10 laud Us
A rickcty old wlIarf-boat, few hali-frozen
commercial Travellers and a dark bank of half
congeaied mud were all shat greeted the eye.
Comrade w. Ii. Bates, sth No and the writer
had dritted down 10 this historic spot, as the
drGld cOuFiers of larger party next Year, 10
view the Odd battlefield Of Fort nonglson. Fol
lowing the faithful porter and his lantern, we
tuyged and labored up the steep bill until we
reached the aged hosiery. made famous through
having been the headquarters OF the rebel Gen.
Floyd during the battle.
i blazing hickory fire in an old-fashioned
fireplace and the polite attentions Of mine host.
Robertson, veteran of the fighting" 18th
Tenn, &. 5. A., soon made us feel at home in
the Planters House." aud the small hours
found us lighting our battles over and plying
our host with multitude of questions.
A layman would have Courted the drowsy
god until late the next morning, but, as voter
ans, deemed il but meet that we should be
up early and catch a daylight glimpse of the
historic picture. Aud cold, white aud dreary
one it WAS, with no cannOus' boom or martial
strain 10 relieve the death-iike stiffness. After
a last III lOT the t.pES Oh kiIl1. VIC uBUGG
the cutting wind and sauntcrei out to visit
the old rife-pits commencing on the Union
right. We found the Tcduubts and breast
works almost intact, and few hours work
would make them servircable even now.
Alter a tramp of half a mile We came 10
the Cherry house." used by our army as
a hospital The mansion stands empty and
In ruins, the family having removed TO new
and more modern house. and the remains of
the dead buried here during the battle have
long since been transferred TO the National
Cemetery. The chimney still bears the mark
of on-ball which passed through it and
the wall killing Federal soldier hidden under
a bed in the upstairs chamber. Had the man
remained III his place in the ranks he might
have lived 10 this day.
While gazing at the old ruin neighbor came
mp and told us a number of incidents that are
sand 10 have taken place ut the Cherry mansion
during the battle, one of which, if true, Illus
trates the perfect disregard men have for dan
ger and pain when surrounded by them. A
Federal soldier had received painful wound
on one OF his fingers, and while sitting at the
improvised supper table in the main room it
CAUSED him great pain and Inconvenience. In
patiently and IN anger he turned and said TO
Surgeon who had just come in, " D-n it, Doctor
cut this finger off," The doctor coolly took out
knife, amputated and dressed the finger
when the soldier deliberately proceeded To
One venerable old gentleman had very
vivid recollection of Wallace's Division on the
Federal side and Forests cavalry, Of the rebel
army. First Forrest took my fodder and corn,
then the Yankees took my chickens aud Eat
cattle" But, with an eye TO business, he con-
tlnued: have kept sttict account of all |
have lost, and a lawyer in WaShin.t ton is now
trying TO make the Government pay me for it,"
The Rollins mansion, also used as Union
hospital, is still inhabited by the Rollins family
Around and about it charged and fought the
serricd hosts until the brush and trees were
splintered like kindling but the marks of
battle are all gone and a new growth of timber
has taken the place of the battle-scarred senti-
Deis OF the forest Many open graves from
which the Union dead were removed, still re-
main, but the unmarked graves of the Confed-
crate dead have been obliterated by time and
weather.
i walk of a mile or thereabout brought us to
the National Cemetery. which is located on the
Site oi the small fort erected by the troops who
fought the second hattie of Fort Donelson when
Forrest tried TO retake the place. Capt. Hart,
an Old veteran of the Mexican war and of the
war OF the rebellion, is the Superintendent The
cemetery contains only about GOO interrnents,
and is not in first class condition the Govern
ment only permitting the expenditure of $50
per ainum Tor labor; certainly not very
princely sum. The location is dreadfuly iso-
lated, away from all markets, and the remains
should speedily be removed to Nashville Tenn
MI. Hart, Jr.. accompanied Us 10 the old Fort
Donelscn. and amid the bowling of the wind
and the pitilcss peiting Of a snow storm we
sealed the s,eep sides of the old rebel strong
bold. Time has given the yellow sides and the
Geep outer moat an aged and ru like look
but for practical use the fort is as good as it was
the day its huge guns sent cold iron crashing
over the decks OF our gunboats The platform
tlmhers whereon stood the great cannons are
all but rotted away and the log barracks are
all gone. only few bricks and piles of rocks
here and there indicating their former location
We did not descend to the water batteries. but
they are said to be IN even a better state of
preservation than the main fort On our way
back TO the village we found several fragments
OF shells, thrown there by the gunboats but
generally, relics are getting scarce. Just before
the Centennial relic crank of 2 speculative
turn came here, hunted up and purchased all
the debris OF the battlefield TO be found, which
ne TOOK 10 Philadelphia for exhibition and sale
The second battle of Fort Donelson was no
picnic by any means. / have no data at hand
but the impression left on the minds of the citi-
zens by II are Tar more vivid than that of tho
first fight. This is owing TO the fact that, while
the big fight took place a mile or more away
the last engagement was fought in the very
streets OF Dover, and the old houses and the
very tombsiones IN the little cemetery still
bear the marks Of the fray. Many of the mar
bic and stone slabs in the city of the dead are
badly marred by shot and shell. While walking
through the little avenues / noticed where one
cannon ball, l2-p0nnder, apparently, from the
Union guns passed through the top of stone
bearing the name Of Rev. Isaac d. Smith rie-
ochet,ed along the side of the memento i'm
memory Of Rev. G. s. Knott, badly disfigured
the monument over the remains of Rev. John
Wall. and as parting salute had taken a corner
out OF the Tomb of Rev. WIN. T.. Tinsley IT was
evidently warm day for the ministers.
The little town of Dover has changed greatly
Tor the better The old town was sacrificed
upon the altar of Mars, and in one way or
another all butfv ofthe houses were DESTROYED.
Both the old tayerns were left standing but
the dingy Courthouse has been replaced by
neat new brick building, and the village gen.
orally wears fresh and pleasant look.
Many OF the old-timers" inquired after the
welfare and present whereabouts of Col. Hard,
Ing and the boys of the s3d Ill. This regiment
spent the whole of its three years service at
and around Fort Donelson, scouting, rccopnoi-
ter!ng and skirmishing over the country living
between the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers,
and an interesting volume could be written
about their scrapes and escapes in this neigh
borhood. One incident worthy of mention was
told us by citizen whose father was an eve
witness 20 the affair. A small party of the SD
ran into detachment of rebel cavalry at the
Iron works few miles above Dover. and q
sharp light ensued. A shot from Union mus
ket pierced the brain of rebel horseman. who.
in falling, dashed his head against large stone
act AGAINST war