The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-08

night OF the 14th, after a coun-
ell Of war, the Confederates de-
cided to make a bold move early
the next morning and rout or destroy
the Union forces. Under the command
of Generals Pillow and Bushrod r. John
ston, ten thousand OF the enemy advanced
from Dover. the main body being directed
to attack McClernand's division. General
Buckner was assigned the duty of striking
Wallace's division, in the center. For
three hours the battle continued fiercely be-
tween the contending hosts. At s o'clock
on the morning of the 18th McClernand.
pressed by the Confederates to the point Of
desperation, appealed to Wallace for as
sistance. In the absence of General Grant,
Wallace could do nothing without orders.
Again McClernand called for help. urging
compliance with his request on the ground
thai his flank was turned and disaster
threatened to engulf him. This time the
appeal was not made in vain. McCler-
nand's line was falling back and he vas
asking for ammunition. Wallace took the
responsibility of sending some up and then
threw a brigade across the road between
the retreating federals and the advancing
Confederates. During the lull in the storm
thus enforced Netherlands men supplied
themselves with ammunition from wagons
which Wallace had sent for that purpose.
The forces Of Buckner and Pillow soon re-
newed the conflict, which was waged with
great vigor, ferocity and determination un-
til repulsed by a Nebraska regiment and a
battery of artillery. The Confederates were
soon defeated, however, and retreated to
their former nOSifion amidst general con-
fusion. God bless YOU" wrote Grants aid
to Wallace, "you did save the day on the
right" When night came on the Confed-
crates found themselves imprisoned within
their works and the next m~orning-Feb.
16-Fort Donelson fell into the hands of
General Grant, with 1850 men, 5000 horses,
As field pieces, II heavy guns and 10000
muskets.
DEFENSE OF CINCINNATI.
In 1862 Gen. E. Kirby Smith, in order to
pave the way for Braxton Bragg's army,
invaded Kentucky. Forrest and Morgan
had already been in the Bluegrass State
for several months, roaming about at will,
unmolested. In August of this year Gen.
Smith, with an army of 1900 men, under
took to cross the Ohio river and seize the
city of Cincinnati. General Wallace was at
Cincinnati when the news of the disaster
at Richmond, KY, reached that city. He
was directed by General Wright to take
command of the demoralized forces, but
was recalled and put in charge of the prep
a~rations for the repulse of Smith. On Sept.
1 he issued a proclamation, as commander
of Cincinnati, Covington and Newport, in
forming the people of the approach of the
;ox,odor. o,1 ,oll;po ,,non oil tho citizonS
of Cincinnati to assemble at convenient
places to be organized for work. By his
order Wallace closed all places of business
and stopped the running of ferry boats.
Martial law was proclaimed in the three
cities. Proceeding upon the theory, "citi-
zens for labor; soldiers for battle" he de-
manded the services of all able-bodied men.
In a few hours an army forty thousand
strong was gathered. They crossed the
river and assembled upon the hills in the
vicinity of Covington. When the troops of
smith appeared they found a line of in
trenchments ten miles in length, and semi
circular in form. Dazed by the spectacle
which confronted them, they beat a hasty
retreat, and General Wallace was publicly
honored by the people or Cincinnati as the
deliverer of the city.
In 1864 Gen. Jubal A. Early, with 5000 or
20, 600 Confederates, invaded Maryland with
the obvious purpose of selling Washington.
July 5 General Wallace, in command of
the Middle Department, with headquarters
at Baltimore, was informed that Early was
marching or that city. Anticipating the
movement against the capital. General
Grant had dispatched General Wright, with
the Sixth Corps, to protect Washington.
General Tyler, with 1000 Union troops, was
at Frederick, and there, on the 9Th, Wal
lace concentrated all the available men in
his department. He directed Colonel Glen
DENIM to r~econnoiter, with 400 men and
some artillery, for positive information.
At Middletown he discovered Bradley
Johnson and 1000 Confederates, who gave
battle, driving him back towards Freder-
ick. Or July Z there was a stubborn fight
near Frederick, which ended only when
General Gilpin's regiment charged the Con-
federates, driving them back to the noun
tains. Knowing that the capital was then
too weak in troops to successfully resist
the enemy, Wallace withdrew his force
from Frederick to a chosen position on the
left bank of the Monocacy, where he re-
sisted the ConfederateS and impeded their
march. On the 9th he fought the enemy to
a standstill. being engaged for eight hours.
BY this time Wallace's force had been
strengthened by the arrival of Ricketts's
brigade, which was a part of the Sixth
Corps. Here the Confederates were held
i'm check for sufficient length of time to
enable the remainder of the corps to reach
Washington, and, although the Union
forces were eventually defeated. the capital
was reinforced and saved from capture,
plumber and, perhaps, total destruction.
Secretary Stanton and General Grant de-
clared that Wallace's troops had gained a
real victory in holding back the Confeder-
ates for thirty hours and saving the capt.
tai of the Nation. In this battle about
$500 Union and nearly 10000 Confederates
were engaged. The Union forces lost 1859
men in killed. wounded and missing.
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
Shortly after the surrender of Fort Donel-
son. General Grant, who had in turn been
relieved and then restored TO. his COM
mand. commenced preparations to take
Corinth, in Mississippi, near the Tennessee
line. The possession of this point was Of
great Importance to the Union forces. 1t