Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-02-13

to his troops on the front line that he
had made a proposition t., the enemy
to surrender the fort and asked them
to notify the Federal troops in front in
order to stop further fighting. White
flags appeared all along the rifle pits,
but none on the fort itself. To Grants
message he replied that he was COM
PEELED by circumstances to accept the
''ungenerous and unchivalrouS terms
proposed. On receiving this second
letter Grant mounted his horse and
rode along the lines toward the little
village Of Dover, where the COnfeder-
ate headquarters were located. Firing
had ceased on both sides, and on reach
ing the Confederate OutpOStS in front
of Dover Grant was not challenged.
He continued on to the little two story,
implanted tavern, which has become
historic as the scene Of the famous
surrender, and was surprised to find
that General Lew Wallace was already
in consultation with his old enemy,
Buckner. Wallace commanded the
Federal troops nearest to Dover and
had had his soldiers astir before the
break of day, intending to charge the
Confederate breastWOrkS as soon as 1t
became light enough to maneuver. The
regiments were forming for the pur-
pose when a bugle blast across the
lines announced the approach OF flag
of truce. The truce officer stated that
Buckner had decided to surrender and
asked that there be no more firing.
Wallace gave orders to his brigade
commanders to advance and take pos
session of the enemy's works and him.
self rode with the Confederate to
Buckners quarters.
Wallace sent his name in to the Con-
federate chieftain, who recognized IN
him an acquaintance and ordered the
sentinel to admit him. After a gen.
, eral handshake between the Federal
and the Confederate leader and staff
all sat down to breakfast Of corn
bread and coffee. During the meal
Grant arrived and at once entered in
to friendly conversation with Buck
ner, whom he had known at West
Point and afterward in the regular
army. Buckner said that if he had
been in command at DOnelSOn at the
start Grant could not have come up to
it as boldly as he had done. Grant an
swered thar if he had known Buckner
was in command he would not have
tried to come up in the same way.
The capture Of DonelsOn was the
first stunning victory of the war. Grant
was Immediately promoted to the rank
of major general of volunteers. The
phrase unconditional surrender" be-
came a watchword in the northern
camps. AS the initials of Grants name
corresponded to the first letters in the
phrase the coincidence was caught up
and banners were emblaZOned with
the legend Unconditional Surrender
Grant" Throughout the army east
and west tho fame of Grant inspired
the soldiers with fresh hope. If the
old flag could win in one fight, why
not in others? Grant did not rest with
the fall of DonelsOn. He promptly
notified his superior officer, General
Halleck, who was at st. Louis, that he
would push on up the Cumberland rlv-
er and take GAINESVILLE the 21st Of Feb
ruary and Nashville, the capital of Ten
nessee and the strongest Confederate
post in the region, by the 1st of March.
He believed that the fall Of Donelson
opened the way for Federal advance all
over the southwest and that the armies
could march at once to Chattanooga.
Corinth, Memphis and Vicksburg,
points ultimately captured only after
hard fighting.
Without waiting for orders or for re-
plies to his dispatches about his move
ments Grant started for Nashville. He
reached there before March l and found
it already in possession of the FederalS
under General Don Carlos Buell.. Buell.
had followed the retreat of the enemy
from Kentucky southwark, a result of
the fall of Henry and Donelson, and
naturally reached Nashville in the
wake of the COnfederates. Grant was
met at Nashville by orders from Hal
leck to leave a small garrison at Donel-
son and move his whole command back
to Fort Henry. Two days later he re-
J. Smith in active command of the
troops and remain himself at Fort
Henry. And at the end Of another two
days he was virtually placed in arrest
for disobedience to orders which he
had never received and for going to
Nashville without permission from his
superiors. Thus four weeks from the
time the campaign opened with the
blow at Fort Henry and while the
country rang with praises to the vic
tor Grant was under arrest and with
out a command, all owing to the red
tape routine of department headquar-
tiers.
Meanwhile the COnfederates under
the able leadership of Albert Sidney
Johnston were getting away from the
Kentucky line and middle Tennessee
back to the strOngholds of Corintk,
Memphis and Chattanooga, which it
would cost heavily to capture after the
enemy should fortify them.
GEORGE I, KITMFR