The National tribune., 1902-09-18

and which drove the Union forces back
upon the river, under sort Of hill, Or
ledge Previously to all this, the Federal
gunboats had been crippled and sent down
the river.
ORDERED BACK TO THE TRENCHES.
"On Saturday afternoon Gen. Buckner
received an order recalling his troops to
the rifle-pits. Meanwhile he had seen
Grants reinforcements arriving from down
the river on boats. He saw at once that
his exhausted men could not fight new
army, and that the only hope was safe
retreat to Nashville. The enemy had been
driven back to the river. and the country
was of character to facilitate retreat
that would leave the main body of troops
free from the attacks of a pursuing army;
therefore Buckner did not at once obey
the order to fall back into trenches, but
sent his Aide (Col. Johnson) to say that
fresh troops were coming, that his own
men We're too tired to fight longer, but that
he would hold the Union forces back to
the river bank long enough to permit Gems.
Floyd and Pillow to get their men into
line and march out toward Nashville.
Col. johnson says that when he went to
deliver this message he found Gen. FL
low riding about D5nelson eXclalmlng:
Another Manassas defeat! Another Ma
nassas defeatr' Gen. Pillow refused to
believe that the Confederates would not
hold out against the fresh forces, and in
sisted on bringing them back into their
original position. Before they got back
some of the Union forces, Tuttle's Bri-
gade, Col. Johnson thinks, had already
gotten into the trenches Buckner's men
were met by Federal troops firing at short
range.
THE DETERMINATION TO SURRENDER.
Col. johnson further says: "a general
council was held, and it was admitted that
the exhausted soldiers were unable to
make further resistance. One wing of the
Federal army rested on an inlet from the
river. which inlet fanked the Confederate
troops. By fording this they could get be-
yond the Federal lines, perhaps, and make
their escape. At a certain point the water
was only about arm-pit deep, but it was very
cold. Gen. Floyd's medical director said
that if the men waded through this water
perhaps one-fourth of them might reach
Nashville alive. The proposition was
dropped at once. and it was agreed that
nothing remained but to surrender.
"Gen. Floyd thought that. owing to his
having been Secretary of War, the Fed
eral Government would be particularly
anxious TO capture him, and that for him
to surrender would endanger his life"
Floyd said: "Gen. Pillow, l turn this
command over to you"
Said Pillow: "Why, they would rather
have me than JEFF Davis. cannot sur
render. Gen. Buckner, l turn the COM
mand over to you"
BUCKNER IN COMMAND.
Gen. Buckner accepted the situation
saying:
"Gentlemen, you must decide for your
selves; as for me, L VIII snare the late ol
my troops.
On the next day, Sunday. he surren-
dered Fort Donelson to Gen. Grant.
Floyd and Pillow escaped by boat.
Buckner could have done the same, with
better grace than they, had he chosen t,
desert his men. He had done all the
fighting in the field, the other two Gen
erals having remained in the fort.
Col. johnson SAYS: ''When Gen. Grant
met Gen. Buckner he addressed him fa-
miliarly, and said he had been much alarm
ed when he heard that Buckner was at
Fort Donelson. He said: Why did you
not attack Friday?
81 was not in command said Gen.
Buckner.
Ii you had attacked Friday said Gen
Grant, the reinforcements could not have
reached here in time
FORREST ESCAPES.
Gen. Forrest led his cavalry out, ford
ing and swimming the inlet referred to.
Before he got all his men over, however,
the Federals discovered his movement, and
by extending their lines around the inlet,
and to the river itself, they succeeded i'll
cutting off the escape of two Of his COM
panies-an evidence that the entire army
could not have effected safe retreat by
that route.
Maj. Casseday, the staff officer to whom
l have referred, was among the captives
imprisoned at Camp Chase, where he died.
In letters written to members of his fam
lily he discussed certain features Of the
fight and surrender at Donelson, confirm
ing the statements of Col. johnson in all
essential particulars. His son, Morton NJ.
Casseday, published some of the letters,
and from them l assume the liberty Of
taking excerpta for insertion here:
Fort Donelson, Dover, Tenn, Feb. 16,
1862.
"After a severe battle of four days, in
which, as even our captors unanimously
agree, we sustained the name the Confed-
crate arms have won most nobiy, We are
prisoners of war. Many, very many gal
liant fellows were killed.
"We are treated with entire respect; our
side-arms are not taken. We could have
escaped with other officers, but Gen. Buck
ner and his staff were unwilling to leave
the troops who had stood by him SO no.
bly,"
Steamboat Argonaut, above Uniontown,
KY, Feb. %, 1862.
'The Federals, especially the Iowa and
Illinois troops, fought much better than
expected, and suffered fearfully. The
whole thing was horrible enough
Il led the first charge of the attack, at
tempting to take their battery with the
18th Miss, whose officers, except theiI
Major, were not present. 1t was in this
| charge that the loss was bloodiest, the
ground being strewn on all sides with the
dead.
Our captivity is a humiliation HARD
enough to bear, but so far as Gen. Buck
ner and his staff are concerned, we have
met with kindness on the part of mos
of the United States officers. Gen. Buck
ner's refusal to leave his troops, as the
other Generals did, has won him much es
teen on both sides. Only one of his staf
accepted the proffered chance to escape
and We are all here, very happy fam
| lily, considering the circumstances NJ
guard has been placed over us, although
there is one on the boat, and we are al
| lowed every freedom consistent with oul
safe-keeping."
The other letters are from Camp Chase
and deal much in description of prison life
| which seems not to have been very hard
except in the matter of restraint. Th
prisoners were not permitted to speak 4