The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-04-23

For nearly two months Grant disciplined
his tron~,s in the district Of Cairo. In Ja1u-
ar, -, by o.der Of Gen. Talle2&, he moved
foroo o, c. coo men, under McClc"nani, from
Cairo cn D.r!'S Point towards Mqy'!e'l AID
,turrav, il West Kentucky, and sent two
h-i-aIcs threatening Columbus and the C.-l-
f2Gp.at , line between thataa Bowling Greel.
There was no fighting, but the object Of the
movement was accC-n?-i-hed
He lcn~ad to ta,.c Fo-t' Henry AMI Donel-
son. bat was si,elceI when lie br0ache1 thr
subject to Halleck. Not till the 2l of Feb
luary was ho permitted to leave Cairo with
tlat intention With l., 600 men on trans
ports, accompanied b. Admiral Foote with
seven gunboats he started, landing a. Bailey's
ferry, on tho east bank, three miles Lelow
Fort Henry, which he took after an hour and
a half's fire from the gunboats on tie 9Th tie
main bod Of the Confederate garrison hav
ing ro.roate1 upon Fort DonclsoH.
Cant determined to tako Fort Donelson or
the Sh. On tie 7th his cavalry penetrated
to within a mile of the fort, and the infantry
and cavalry on the east bank of the Ten
nessee were n tifiod to move on the Sth
"without incumbrances, =" and with two days
rat;ons in their haver5acks. Heavy rain;
had food u the country, making it impossible
Ia move bagga % or artillery, AMI Delaying
tho f.'ack Re-enforccments were secured
but Ha.lecx's orders to Grant were always OF
a defensive aad not aggressive character.
Fort Dorel5on, high on its range of hills
epcircled by formidable ahat.S and gar
risoned by 21 coo men, was ono of the greatest
strongholGs of the enorly. Its Notifications
had been strengthened since tie fall of Fort
Honrv. re-cnsorcements had poured into it.
10 h.
cessive,y sent to command it, each ranking
his predecessor, who remained to serve under
tho now superior.
On the 18Th Grant got into position. S,1i--
nj. hcrs " e thrown out in fi'ont and several
smart fights occurred. On the night of the
18Th be was established on the heights, par
allcl with the enemy's outworks. The
weather suddenly became intensely cold. The
troors. compelled to Eivouac in line of battle
with arms in their hands, within muSket
range of the enemy's breastworks, suffered
extremely. No fires could be built, many of
the men were without blankets ard with in
sufficient rations. That was an awful night,
never to be forgotten by those who partiCi-
mated in it. There were TO tents, and as the
pight wore on snow and Lail fell, wrap
ping the waiting men in bitter
Blanket Ct ice. Many were frozen. The Con
feGerate pickets fired an uncertain but inces
SAM rain of bullets. The groans of the
wo lnded, tho pitiful calls for Eelp and water,
made the hours of darkness terrible The
next day re-enforcements arrived, and for
hours an irregular fire of sharrshooters, with
occasional discharges of artillery, was kept
M In the afternoon six gunhoats, in com
nand of Feotc, attacked the fort at 400 yards
and were worsted. Another night of cold,
sanger and suffering for the troops, Grant
then Eavin q, 900 men.
Atdawn ON the 18TH the memorable siege
of Fort Donelson YVES begun in earnest, the
enemy coming out of his works andattacking
the Federal line on the right. McClernand.
Macarthur and Lew Wallace were engaged,
Macarthur giving way with heavy loss, nc
C.eInapi and Wallace repaying it. The Cen
federates, however, failed TO make their way
through the Federal lines, and were retiring
but th1 Federal troops were discouraged and
disorGered. There was a lull. Grant was
abs mt at the flagship when tie attack oc-
cured
Returning to his headquarters, and apprised
Of tho eveEts of the mtnning, he ordered the
tlco5s that had not been engaged to make an
immediate CsSault. The EsyaulIing column
was led By c. F. Smith. UP, up the steep
hill, under the fierce fire of the enemy, went
the Fede:al column, insidsthe intrenchments,