Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-05-03
ter all. were they not our prodigal

|
| The fort had surrendered and with
it vast amount of stores, guns, am
munition and implements of war.
1850 prisoners were turned over
to Grant, the largest number that
had ever been taken in a single bat
tie on the American continent up to
that time. Donelson was won, but
it had cost us dearly. McClernand
lost 1900 men killed and wounded,
Wallace lost 800, Smith lost 1850
and later on his own life. 1t was
indeed great victory, and the
country went wild with delight; all
sorts of extravagances were indulg-
ed in, even the coolest and wisest
heads were turned for the moment;
| and little wonder. When Donelson
fell, Columbus and Bowling Green
and Nashville went with it. Buell.
had all along insisted that the union
army should make Nashville the
point of attack instead of Donelson,
but Buell. was wrong.
The Mississippi river was opened
up again as far as Island No. 10,
and 1t was demonstrated that the
troops of the west were in every way
match for the men of the South
1t was Grants opinion that II q com$
Ipetent ofhcer had been in command
of all the troops west of the ALE.
ghanies the whole southwest would
have been taken. In January It had
been said In Europe, "The fate "a;
the American government will be
sealed II February passes withoa4s
some great victory" Halleck had,
telegraphed to Mcclellan: Fort
Donelson is the turning point of the.
war and we must take it at whata
ever COST After the battle Grant
teiegraphed to Halleck, after speaks
ing Of the supplies captured, said OF.
rice: II don't know that we will
want any more during the war. 3
think will send you the tail Of the
elephant in the morning at farth-.
est" And in his congratulatory adj
dress to the army he said; Fort
Donelson willsshereafter be marked
in capitals on the man Of our counS
try, ~ I. sssaa. -
HrperX ssyeekl w a. MACH sfst, IN
tsa SrNrlA eatltlsds 1.-THE sEianm9
tRf stl6ow5eA {, $50 uoe DQaeaaon; s;;sit
fia lfoHahly thSf cpt i11ating point IS
the struggle between the us %
ernment and the malcontshts = Ev-
en- Mr.. Lincoln shared the general
optimistic views 81 the country.
Harper's Weekly " March 9Th said:
THE president assumes in his am
nesty proclamation that the rebellion
has eliminated and will henceforth
steadily decline. and undoubtedly
the general feeling Is that the heart
of the difficulty has been pierced and
that nothing now remains for it but
to bleed to DEATH" 1t was then that
Halleck created the phrase that was
so. often referred to afterward:
THE backbone of the rebellion is
broken"
| Lieutenant Snowden said to me:
"Well, Sergeant, we may as we'll go
home now, the war is about over"
Discharges were freely offered to
the sick and the wounded. Even
those who had been but slightly
hurt we're offered discharge. / was
offered one myself, and it was urged
upon me in lieu of furlough, which
l greatly desired at that time.
In Richmond there was a reign Of
terror. The union sentiment began
to assert itself; the city was placard-
ed with calls upon union men to
watch and wait. Many Of the lead
ing citizens were arrested upon sus-
picion Of being union men, and ev-
[erything was at sea.
1t was along about that time that
so many puns and riddles and jokes
began to be perpetrated about the
war. 1t was the success at Donel-
son that filled Mr.. A. Ward so full
of patriotic enthusiasm, that he de-
clared he was willing to sacrifice all
his wife's relations. The greatest
feat of the day was Footing it UP
the Cumberland They said that
many q man VINO had raging fever
before going into battle had the
ague afterward. A civilian gravely
told a friend that "A FOUNDER was
; a cannon that sent pound ball "A
miles. A dull and plausible man
was like an unrified gun because he
was a smooth bore; while many a
man who was quartermaster in
the army, had a wife who was a
i. whole master at home.
CHAPTER XIII.
OF course Fort Donelson Is not tt