The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-09-13
I'd IOWA AT DONELSON.
Behaved with Intrepidity and was Highly
Complimented.

Complimented.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I wish to
correct some statements in regard to the I'd
Iowa at Fort Donelson by Daniel 2. Donnell,
Co. F of that regiment. We landed short
distance below Fort Donelson Feb. IA, 1862,
and marched in rear of the fort and took our
position $50 far as / know on the extreme
left. The day was cold, there being about
one inch of snow on the ground. We were
not allowed to build fires. There was a
regiment in our front, or rather at right
oblique, known as Burgess's Sharpshooters,
armed with old squirrel-rifies and wearing
coonskin caps, with bucktail appendage. l
believe they were the Goth Ill. Allow me
to say l believe that regiment WAS largely
instrumental in making successful the charge
we made, as they sjienced all the batteries
in the fort on the hill, situated about $50
yards at a right-oblique from the rife-pits,
which We charged, excepting one 6-pound
gun, which did no harm.
Our regiment was called into line about
o'clock D. m. Feb. Is, and marched au left
face to small opening i'll the timber ut the
foot of the hill on which were the rife-pits
mentioned. Our Colonel halted us in the
open space and ordered front face. Then
he said:
Second Iowa, I am ordered to take those
rife-pits; will you follow me?"
The answer was a deafening war-whOop.
He ordered the left wing to follow him,
the right in the rear. The hill we charged
up had been covered with white-oak timber,
but great portion of it had been cut down
and had fallen in every way, which made our
progress slow, and when we went over those
rife-pits could not tell the left wing from
the right.
After we were in I did not see the john
MES retreatng through the ravine, whom
d. P. Donnell spoke of excepting one who
was making tracks for said ravine. He only
had seven bulet-holes through his KNAPP
sack. He stopped. The balance of our OPP
ponents retreated to the fort and rife-piis,
then situated about $50 yards on gradual
rise at right-oblique.
The regiment which was our support was
either the 25th or SD Ind, and instead of
that regiment coming up the ravine they
came the way our regiment did, and stopped
on the outside of the pits and fired into our
regiment. Their officers could not get them
from outside the pits. For moment l WAS
at loss which side Of the stump to occupy.
The 7th Iowa came through the Indiana
regiment to our support. Night had by
this time settled on US so much as TO cause
the firing to cease.
On the morning of the 18th, as it began
to turn gray in the east, we were called into
line, with the expectation that we would
have the lead of the charge on the next line
of works; but as day was breaking COM
rade in my front nicknamed Brigham
Young" pointed to flag On the fort above
and said:
Look at the white rag!"
In few moments it could be seen DIS
tinctly. Then the war-whoop that went up
started the bark from the trees.
Soon after this surrender, one evening on
dress parade the Adjutant read to US COM
munication from some General or Govern
ment official, stating that the stain that the
General commanding post at st. Louis had
placed on the regiment was wiped away,
and winding up by saying that we were the
bravest of the brave.
The comrade says it was an Indiana regi-
ment that tried to lead the army into Fort
DoneIson. / don't remember of any move
made by any regiment, although there
might have been but the I'd Iowa had that
honor conferred on them.
Now, comrades of the I'd Iowa, don't jump
on me with both feet and call me bad
name. This statement WAS all written from
memory, and you know it has been some
time since these things happened. 1 may
be mistaken in some things; but try it your
selves.-MCD. PARsHALL, Co. Z, I'd Iowa,
Golden, Colo.