The Indianapolis journal., 1901-09-29
Enthusiasm of Troops After Capture
OF Fort Henry-Cartridge Bags
Made of Ladies' Dress Goods.
A REBELS WARNING TO GRANT
ONE OF THE GENERALS DISPATCHES
NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.
How He Wrote His Famous Demand
Surrender of Fort DOneIson.

| and Donelson were composed of the flower
| of our Western youth, but they had not
| then been subjected to the rigid discipline
| that is so essential in the realities of war.
| The boys" seemed to feel that they were
out on a picnic excursion, and they never
| lost an opportunity to have a good time"
| Following the capture of Fort Henry, disci-
pline became almost an impossible thing.
Large quantities of the munitions of war
had fallen into our hands, including a
goOdly supply of ardent spirits; and in the
| confusion incident upon such an event all
of these goods lay around in the utmost
disorder. 1t was a new experience to the
volunteer soldiers, but having captured the
goods they felt that in certain sense they
| had a property right in them. At any
| rate, the boys freely helped themselves,
especially to those liquid refreshments
which inspire courage and make us forget
the hardships of the moment All the
| troops who could manage by any sort Of
| contrivance or excuse to get outside of
! their camps, came to the fort and roamed
at will over the captured works in their ef-
| fort to satisfy a laudable curiosity. The
old veterans who may read these pages
will think of those stirring times with a
smile. They had not yet learned to be
soldiers; but it did not take them long to
acquire the necessary information.
AS chief of staff in the ordnance depart
ment, it my duty to look after the
captured ammunition and apply such por-
| tions of it as were suitable to our arms to
the use of our soldiers. While engaged in
the performance of this duty encountered
| a party of the boys who were in a very
| hilarious state of mind. They were "cele-
/ bratinP'' 10 an that carried them
| beyond the limits of discipline; and while
they were perfectly good-natured about it,
| their presence was anything but helpful to
me. One of the party was lounging over
an open box containing a lot of powder
| bags, smoking his pipe and relating his
| experiences in the battle to his compan-
| ions. Having finished his pipe and his
story about the same time, he emptied the
| live ashes into the powder box, whereupon
I pushed him aside and hurled the box
and its contents into a pool of water near
| by. The fact that we did not have an ex-
| plosion was no fault of this fun-loving
soldier, who, when he realized what he
had done. started back with an exclama-
tiOn of horror The incident sobered him
at once, and he returned to camp wiser
youth if not better soldier.
LADIES DRESS GOODS UTILIZED.
Among the various articles captured at
Fort Henry were several hundred cartridge
bags made of ladies' dress goods. Many
of them were embroidered with skill and
taste, the work having been done by the
fair hands of some of the most arstocratic
women of the Southland. Regardless of
what we may think OF the causes that pro-
duced the war. or the principles that were
involved. no one can accuse the Southern
women of any lack Of patriotism in behalf
of their section. 1t was largely their in
spiration which made the Southern sol
der a hero, and forced into the contest on
both sides that indomtable spirit of gal
lantry which will continue to excite the
admiration of the world so long as our race
shall endure. 1t was in truth a contest in
which Greek met Greek; and whatever
may be said of the heroism of ancient
times, every soldier on either side in that
momentous struggle knows that the fight
ing men OF no other nation, in no former
period of the worlds history. ever per-
formed deeds that could surpass those of
the volunteer soldiers of America in our
great civil war.
General Tilghman. who commanded at
Fort Henry, with his staff and about nine
ty Of his men. were the only Confederates
captured there, the remainder of the gar
rison having escaped TO Fort Donelson be-
fore the surrender. A few days after the
capitulation General Tilghman called on
General Grant to pay his respects and bid
him farewell before departing on his jour
ney to the northern prison TO which he
had been assigned. Tilghman was an
ideal Southern gentleman. and as he shook
hands with Grant he said:
"Well. general, you have captured Fort
Henry easily, but let tell you that you
will find Donelson quite another place.
That fort is practically impregnable. There
are not soldiers enough in the North to
capture IL in a year
Possibly" was Grants quiet reply, but
time alone will tell
Eleven days afterward Donelson also
surrendered to the silent commander.
INTERVIEW WITH SHERMAN.
Immediately following the capture of
Fort Henry 1 was sent to Cairo and Padu-
cab to look after our ordnance stores at
those points, and while at the latter place
1 met and was introduced TO General Sher-
man as one OF General Grants staff off,
GERS. Sherman was in command there at
the time and l studied him closely, be-
cause of the newspaper stories which were
then being circulated charging MIN with
insanity. He invited to dine with him.
and 1 found him to be most companion
able sort of a man and a wonderfully enter
tanning talker. He spoke of the war. the
proper organization of raw troops, the
scarcity of experienced officers. and va
rious other topics in connection with the
events of the day; and when 1 started to go
he accompanied me TO the door. and in the
most impressive manner gave me this mes
sage to General Grant:
Give General Grant my kindest re-
CARDS" he said land say to him for me
that | wish him the greatest success; and
as he has no regular army officers except
General Smith and Colonel Mcpherson, If
he wants my services. although 1 his
senior l will come up and place myself
under his command.
AS soon as / reached headquarters 1 re-
peated the message to Grant. who appeared
10 greatly appreciate Shermans generous
offer; and | judge that the warm personal
friendship which eN er afterward existed be-
tween these two great commanders dated
from that time. / told General Grant dur