The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-10-28
SURRENDER

Texas and Democratic nominee
for reelection, has been a model
executive of the clone Star" State.
If he had done nothing else, the
courageous and Fabian tactics
displayed by him in the absolute
overthrow and entire suppression
of pugilism in that State, is sufh-
Gent to entitle him to the admira-
ton and support of the people for
reelection.
But the Governor is guilty of
an egregious mistake, calculated
to react upon him disastrously,
when he descends from the exalt-
ed plane of a gubernatorial candi-
date, to engage in a malicious and
mendacious assault upon General
Buckner, as he is reported to have
done in a speech at Paris, Texas,
wherein he referred to the capitu-
lation of Fort Donelson as "the
most disgraceful surrender of the
the civil war; This is an unjust
imputation, not supported by the
incidents Immediately preceding
the surrender and will be resented,
not only by every survivor of that
siege, but by every confederate
soldier conversant with the history
of that crucial epoch in the life of
the Southern Confederacy.
The resistance of the little Con.
federate garrison - outnumbered
ten to one by the myrmidons OF
General Grant-was one of the
most heroic and gallant in the an.
nails Of any war. This brave and
noble Spartan band, in the midst
of one of the most lnclement win
ters known to that austere eli.
mate, many of them barefooted,
leaving bloody tracks upon the
frozen ground, without shelter
aud with Int a modicum of food,
repulsed every attempt Of the Fed
eral Invader to capture the fort,
until he had entirely surrounded
it and it was seen that longer re-
sistance would only terminate in
the complete humiliation Of the
garrison.
A council of war was then call
ed, at which were present Gener
ais Floyd, Pillow, Buckner and
Coils. Forest and Tighlman. II
was determined to mako the bes1
terms possible and surrender th.
garrison. General Buckner wal
the junior officer, but bis superiors
Generals Floyd aud Pillow, eacl
declared most positively that they
would not submit to the disgrace
and humiliation of surrender, bu,
wonld take passage upon a coufed
crate boat then iu the river and
make their escape before the term,
of surrender had been agreed mp
on under flag of truce. Genera
Buckner was invited to accompa
ny them, but respectfully declined
the invitation, assuring his supe
riors that as capilulation was 8
matter of necessity, he was NJ
better than his meu, that he would
remain with them, sign the arli
cles of capitulation and share thei,
captivity. The surrender Of the for1
accordingly devolved upon Gen
eral Buckner, while Generals
Floyd and Pillow made good theil
escape into "Dixie's Land" Col
Onel, afterwards General Forest,
refused to sanction any capitula.
ton, declaring that he would "cut
his way out" with as many of hi,
command as possible, which be
Immediately carried into execu.
ton.
The surrender of Fort Donelson
was only made after 2 hungry,
famished, half clad and sleepless
garrison had been decimated and
is one of the most honorable in the
annals Of our civil war, notwitb-
standing the adverse criticism oil
the young Governor of Texas,
quite too youthful to have inhaled
the sulphurous odor of gun pow.
der, or to have heard the whistle
Of a Minnie ball.