The National tribune., 1902-09-18
FORT DONELsON.
The Defense and Surrender from
a Confederate Standpoint.
BY GEORGE DALLAS MosGRovE.

In January, 1862, at the opening of the
second year of the conflict between the
States. tne program of the Federals Tor
the ensuing campaign was another on
TO Richmond movement from the Poto-
mac, and a general invasion southwark,
from the junction of the Ohio and Missis-
sippi Rivers. For this purpose, two ar
mics had been organized-one at Wash
ington, under the immediate supervision of
Gen. Mcclellan, the other in the West
directed by Gen. Halleck. To meet these
fine armies the Confederates had force,
not to be despised, in Virginia, command
ed by Gen. Joseph Z. Johnston, and an
army in the West, under the command OF
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, whose head
quarters were at Bowling Green, hy.
The general campaign opened by opera
tions in Gen. Halleck's Department. The
battle Of Mill Spring, variously called Lo-
gan's Crossroads and Fishing Greek, was
fought in southeastern Kentucky, the re-
suit being Il signal victory for the red
erals, commanded by Gen. Geo. Fl. Thorn
as. This Federal success was soon fol
lowed by two others of much more I'M
port1nce to them and correspondingly dis
astrous to the Confederates-the capture
of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee River,
Feb. 6, and the surrender of Fort Donel-
son, on the Cumberland River, in Tennes-
see, near the Kentucky line, Feb: IL.
These disasters forced Gen. Albert Sid
neyJ Johnston to withdraw from Kentucky,
and soon thereafter to abandon Nashville.
i THE BATTLE OF FORT DoNELsoN.
The story of Gen. Grants assault upon
Fort Donelson, and the defense made by
the Confederates, is we'll told by N. 5.
Csl /. al hi Sfa ion,
and a Union man:
1.-The fal! of Fort Henry placed Gen.
Grants force well on the flank of the
column at Bowling Green, but as the Cum
berland River was still held by the Con
federates, that force was not yet IN Sc
rious danger. There was still Il chance
for its able leader, Gen. Albert Sidney
Johnston. to make his proposed dash for
Louisville and the line of the Ohio, pro-
rided the Cumberland River was firmly
held: but before this movement could be
undertaken, Grants fleet and army were
laundering at the defenses of the Cumber-
land. Gen. Johnston was not without a
clear diseefnment of his position; he knew
that this critical point should have been
held at all hazards, yet it was -inefficiently
defended Only a week after the fall OF
Fort Henry Grants forces were before the
lines of Fort Donelson. The Confederates
in this fort were, under the command of
Gems. Floyd and Pillow, Gen. Buckner,
lately in charge of the Kentucky State
Guard, being third in command. The to-
tai Confederate force available for .he de-
fense of Donelson amounted to about l5,-
O00 men, who occupied an exceedingly
strong natural position, which had been
made stronger by an abundant expendl-
ture Of engineering skill Grants force
was nearly twice as numerous as that OF
the Confederates, but the strength of the
Confederate lines made the conditions of
the struggle not unequal. The COnfeder-
ate artillery succeeded in the end in Grip
pIing all the gunboats before they had de-
stroyed the defenses of the stronghold.
1t then remained for the Federal army
to carry the position by assault.
..The Federal forces essayed several as
saults, but were easily beaten back with
severe loss. This, in connection with the
successful combat with the gunboats.
would have encouraged well-trained sol
dier to hold his ground, with the hope that
al the right moment he might take the
offensive against his enfeebied antagonist.
Floyd was brave enough, but he had been
charged by Gen. Johnston under any cir
cumstances to save his army, so he de-
ferniiled to cut his way out, and escape
with his force to Nashville while it was
possible A so-tie was determined on
and abandoned, and finally replanned and
successfully executed with great galian-
try. The Federal line gave way, was
thrown back like door on its hinges, and
the way of escape for the Confederates
lay wide open. An unfounded alarm con-
cerning Federal reinforcements caused
Floyd to return to his intrenchments after
he had practically attained the object of
his sortie. His troops had been worn out
in winning their profitless victory, and
were benumbed by fierce Winters storm.
Still they had not lost more than one in
ten of their numbers. 1t was determined
to surrender after portion of the army
had been passed over the river to the un-
in~ested" side of the fortress, and another
part escaped up the stream on steamer.
Gen. Buckner, to whom the command had
been turned over, capitulated to. Gen.
Grant Soldiers of Kentucky, Confederate
and Federal were engaged in this battle
two regiments on each slde-and did their
share of the fighting. The Confederate
loss in killed and wounded was ,33S men,
or about one-tenth their force, and 5000
prisoners The Federal loss by wounds
was about the same.
sit is the general opinion of military
men that the defense of Donelson, though
obstinate was not as desperate as the ex-
isencies of the Confederate cause demand
ed The chance of ultimate Confederate
success in Kentucky depended on the is
sue of this defense more than it ever
depended ON any other battle in the Mis-
sissippi Valley. On it hung also the pow
er of the Confederacy to control the State
of Tennessee, and its chance of getting
possession of Kentucky. 1t was for the
Southern cause the most serious action OF
he war. The commander should have sac
rifi:ed everything for the reasonable hope
that he might in the end have worn ou
the force of his enemy. If there ever wa.
position in which a desperate defense
was called for, it was at Fort Donelson.'
The battle of Fort Donelson began Feb
II, and the fort and about 5000 prisoners
were surrendered by Gen. Buckner, Feb
16. / have given the foregoing account Oi
the battle, fairly written from a Fedora
standpoint. preparatory to submitting thu
story as told by two of Gen. Buckner.
staff officers Col. Charles +. johnson
Chief Aide-de Camp, and Maj. Alex. Cas-
seday. who was especially familiar will
the proceedings of the councils OF the Gen
erals at Donelson, and who led the 14tl
Miss. when that regiment and others open
ed road through the Federal lines, b.
means of which the Confederate troop
might have joined Gen. Johnston at Nash
vile.
A coYFEDERATE's STORY OF THE BATTLE
The following is substantially the stor
as related by Gen. Buckner's Aidede
Camp, Col. johnson:
'The battle was carried on in tn
trenches Wednesday, Thursday and FIR
day. The men were without tents. The
lay in sleet or snow in bitter cold weather
and the enemy's guns were fired over theI