The National tribune., 1885-04-02
FORT DONELSON.
Gallant Fight Of the Eighty.th Illinois Against
Overwhelming Odds.

Il
Gallant Fight Of the Eighty.third Illinois Against
Overwhelming Odds.
| To THE EDITOR: / wish to describe fight
| that took place Feb 3, 1863, sometimes called
the Second Battle of Fort Donels0n," of which
| history docs not make a detailed account, yet
| il was of great importance from the fact that 1t
assisted in the defeat of Bragg and his eXpui-
sion from Tennessee.
While the Stones River fight was going on the
! rebels thought il 4 good scheme to send force
| to occupy Fort Donelson, and stop the re-
| endorsements that were on their way TO Rose
! Grams. Gems. Wheeler and Forrest, with a force
| of 10000 men, marched upon the camp of Dover
! which was situated mile TO the south OF the
| old fort, where they found Col A. {. Harding
with about 500 infantry of his own regiment
tthc SID H. }, and about 100 men of Capt Flood
| battery (2d III. l.. A with six gunS-the Whole
| force not exceeding 600 available troops.
About 10 o'clock on the morning OF Feb 3
scout came in and reported that a large force OF
| the enemy were marching upon our camp. Inc
! enemy came in view on the south, and in few
minutes they also made their appearance on the
west. Then it became evident to us that we
were being surrounded from the river above to
! the river below. As the Cumberland at that
season of the year was almost out OF its banks,
! there was not much chance for a retreat II we
had so desired. Co. B, under Capt. McClana-
UdU-NnO WIS WNuHucu anu dktci "diuS NsNu
was sent to skirmish on the south, while Cos.
A and were sent to the west. After few
shots had been exchanged with us on the south,
Wheeler's Adjutant-General carle to US with
dispatches from the General stating that they
had come to occupy the place with an over
whelming force, and that the best thing we
could do was TO surrender. But our gallant
| little Colonel thought differently. He replied
that he had orders to hold the place at all haz-
ards, and he proposed to do it. Immediately
upon this refusal firing commenced all along
the enemy's lne and our skirmshers Tell back
| TO camp and were assigned their position
Our camp at this time was located on hill
sloping to the south and west, and with sew
eral ravines just north and within our picket
lines. In front was "a wide ravine, and beyond
this semi-circular ridge extending for some
miles. This the enemy occupied with their
ii guns and from which they had good COM
mand of our position. While the enemy was
forming on this ridge our nine companies were
placed III many different positions III ravlneS,
with orders TO conceal ourselves As much as
possible and to repel any charge that the enemy
might make from any direction.
Two guns OF Floods battery were placed
facing TO the south and the rest to the west
and northwest. A short time previous to this
however. we had removed a :}2- pound siege gun
from the old rebel water battery and placed 1t
in position at right angles in the streets of the
UlU lOHli, WHICH dU lHB lIIliG Vi tue pIoNCu
of immense value. For several hours charge
after charge was made at different points, but
all were repulSed with great loss to the enemy.
Finally, after all the horses of Floods battery
had been killed and one of the guns captured,
we saw that our position was getting desperate.
Companies c, X and | came from their shelter,
made charge and drove ten times their num-
Der before them until the enemy was glad to
retreat to safe distance. In that charge we
lost several good men-one Orderly Sergt,
James Campbell, of Co. c, who was noble fel-
low. While this was going on, Cos. A, h,
and III We're located near the old church, and
with desperation repu!sed 4 heavy charge led
by one Col. NcNary, who we learned after
wards was brave officer and great fav0rite
of his men, and who fell while leading the
charge. In that charge also fell our noble Cap
tain Reed, of Co. A. From a personal acquaint-
ance with him before the war do not hesitate
in saying that 2 Drawer man never drew sword.
Among the first charges that were made was
one upon the siege gun shotted with canister,
which was supported by Cos. b and ID. When
the enemy got close enough the gunner pulled
the lanyard. There We're about 200 in the
charge, and l think about half of that number,
with their horses, lay upon the field.
Thus for several hours did the enemy pour a
mass OF fire upon from their muSketry and
feld-pieces. The only place from which we
could have received re-cnfOrcements in few
nourS MAS from fOri henry, IL miles away,
but the enemy knew this and stationed force
on the Fort Henry road to prevent their COM
ing, which they did with great effort.
About dark firing ceased and another truce
came i'll, saying to Col. Harding that having
made gallant defense it would be madness to
continue any longer and sacrifice his men
against their superior force; that if he would
surrender they should be treated as prisoners
of war; to which Col Harding replied that
they had held out this long and that they in
tended to do so TO the bitter end.
Upon receiving this reply the truce returned,
and Immediately they began reforming their
lines, intending TO make one final charge and
finish US. Just at that time seven gunboats, in
advance of fleet with troops to relieve Rose
Grams, hove in sight and commenced firing
upon the enemy, who We're not long in getting
beyond our reach That night the feet ar
rived, and the next morning there were over
10000 troops on the ground, who after short
stay moved on up the river to their destina-
tion.
ONr forces lost in killed and wounded about
80 men. one of Floods guns-after recapturcd
and all the horses Of the artillery. The reb-
els lost over 800 killed, wounded and taken
prisoners. 1t was afterwards stated by the
rebels that they coald not see anything TO shoot
at, but that when they made a charge they
found the hollows full of Yanks-W. A. CAN
NON, Co. B, SD ILL.,, Arvada, Col.