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They pushed forward, as at Fort Henry, seven in number, the four iron-clads in advance, and the three wooden boats in the rear. The cannonade immediately commenced when the boats were within a mile and a half of the battery, both from the boats and from the entire line of the rebel batteries, in a continuous roar, as though it were but one volume of reverberating thunder. Piercing through this almost deafening peal could be distinctly heard the shrill scream of the shells, rushing madly through the air, on their terrible mission. The boats pressed boldly on, until within one hundred and fifty yards of the water batteries.* Thus, for an hour and a half, the battle raged. Gradually the fire from the fort began to slacken, as one gun after another was silenced. At length, but three remained to reply to the boats. The rebels were beginning to escape from their water batteries below the fort, and it seemed impossible that Donelson could hold out fifteen minutes longer. The shot and shell from fifteen heavy rifled guns plunged through the parapets, and ploughed up the ground around and beneath the cannoneers. At this moment occurred one of those casualties which often determine the issue of battles. A chance shot disabled the steering apparatus of the Louisville, at the same moment dashing the wheel into fragments. The pilot ran to the aft tiller, and had but just reached it, when a shot struck the rudder, carrying it utterly away. The helpless boat whirled around at the mercy of the flooded stream, and floated down upon the current. A shot also struck, and shattered into fragments, the wheel of the flag-ship, St. Louis. The special attention of the batteries was directed to this boat, as the one on which the Admiral was stationed. Thus, almost in an instant, two of the iron-clads were disabled, and were drifting, uncontrollable, down the stream. The two remaining iron-clads were also seriously damaged. The rebels, who were fleeing from their batteries, seeing this, again returned, and vigorously renewed their fire. They had now, from the fort and the batteries, twenty guns to bear upon the fleet. There were but twelve boat-guns to return the fire. The St. Louis had received fifty-nine shots. All the other boats had been struck nearly half as many times. Fifty-four had been killed and wounded in the attack. The fleet was thus compelled, upon the very eve of victory, to abandon the contest.

The battle of Fort Henry was fought on the 6th of February. Two of the gun-boats had been sent the next day over a hundred miles up the river to Florence, Alabama, to destroy all the gun-boats of the foe, and they did not return to Fort Henry until the 10th, when the war-battered fleet was rendezvoused at Cairo, a hundred miles below the captured fort, for repairs. On the 11th the fleet was again on the move to attack the massive batteries of Donelson. This Napoleonic energy is alike creditable to Gen. Halleck, who issued the command, and to the indefatigable Admiral Foote, who executed it. Still, the Admiral, who was well aware of the formidable nature of the rebel batteries at Donelson, earnestly desired the delay of a few days to complete the mortar-boats, then nearly ready, with which he believed that the rebels could be shelled out of their works with but little loss of life on our side. In this view he was undoubtedly corSee Gen. Gid. J. Pillow's official report.

rect. But Gen. Halleck believed an immediate attack to be a military necessity. Every day's delay might add thousands to the garrison, and add greatly to the number and the strength of the already massive works. Under these circumstances the energy of Gen. Halleck, merits high commendation. We have suffered so much during this war from loiterings and weary preparations, that even a little rashness has become highly refreshing. The Admiral himself in this short, sharp conflict at Donelson had also received a serious and painful wound. As the ship was passing a point where it was exposed to a terrific fire, he went into the wheel-house to sustain and encourage the pilot. Placing his hand kindly upon his shoulder, he said, "Be calm and firm; everything depends upon coolness now." Just at that moment a ball struck the iron-plated wheel-house, penetrated the armor, and crushed the pilot into mangled death. The massive ball split in two, and one of the fragments struck the foot of the Admiral, inflicting a wound exceedingly painful, and which doomed him to crutches for many months. He instantly seized the wheel, crimsoned with the blood of the pilot. But the gear was all deranged. Regardless of his crushed foot, he sprang below, to another steering apparatus, which had been provided to meet any emergency like this. But the second shot to which we have referred disabled that also, and the boat became unmanageable." Thus closed Friday the 14th, the third day of the investment.

Another cold and dismal night ensued. The ground was still covered with ice and snow, and the freezing blast still swept over the unsheltered host. The lines of the army were somewhat withdrawn from their close vicinity to the rebel batteries, that the troops, in their bleak bivouac, might be cheered by camp fires. Strong pickets were established in front of the lines. There was no assault during the night. Its silence was only disturbed by the occasional boom of a cannon from the batteries of the rebels, and the frequent ring of rifles from the antagonistic patrols. The morning of Saturday the 15th opened cold and lowering. Nature seemed to be in sympathy with the dismal scenes of blood and misery which the day was to inaugurate. While the condition of the National army was exceedingly distressing, that of the rebels had become extremely critical. They were now entirely surrounded. Not a single door was open to them for the receipt of reënforcements or supplies, save that up the river, and that avenue the National troops could cut off at any time by planting batteries on the shore, which they would soon command. During the night the rebel officers held a consultation and decided upon a sortie. For this purpose, under the veil of darkness and the storm, they massed nearly their entire force upon the southern or left wing of their fortifications. They also quietly moved several of their batteries to this position. It was their

* Although wounded himself, and his gun-boats crippled, yet with the glory of the gallant combat on his brow, he indulged in no repinings for his personal misfortunes or laudation of his successes; but like a true Christian hero he thought only of his men. In a letter, written the morn ing after the battle, to a friend, he said, "While I hope ever to rely on Him who controls all things, and to say from the heart, Not unto us, but unto thee, O Lord, belongs the glory, yet I feel sadly at the result of our attack on Fort Donelson. To see the brave officers and men, who say they will go wherever I lead them, fall by my side, makes me feel sad to lead them to almost certain death" Speech of Hon. W. Grimes, U. S. Senate, March 13, 1862.

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YORK ABKARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS,

plan to cut through the National line at this point. The line thus broken and thrown into disorder, would be compelled to make a sudden change of position. In the confusion of this change they were to be attacked in both front and flank, and driven back to their transports. The rebels hoped thus to cut their way through, and effect a safe retreat to the South. It was a well-conceived plan, and had the sortie been attempted twenty-four hours earlier, it could not but have been successful. As we have mentioned, the National army inclosed the fortifications of the rebels in the form of a crescent. The extreme left touched the river at the point where the transports landed on the north. The extreme right nearly reached the river on the south. Gen. McClernand was in command of the right wing, Gen. Smith of the left wing, and Gen. Lewis Wallace of the centre.

At daybreak, Saturday morning, the rebels made the attack with all the impetuosity and desperation which their situation demanded. The vehement movement had not been anticipated by the National officers. Gen. Grant had left his headquarters to consult the wounded Commodore Foote, at the landing, respecting a renewal of the attack by the gun-boats. With that superior generalship which has thus far enabled the rebel generals, with inferior forces, almost invariably to outnumber the National troops wherever they have met on the field of battle, more than one half of the whole rebel garrison was hurled upon a single point of one of the divisions of the Union troops. Our troops, as usual, were outnumbered. A single brigade was assailed by twelve thousand men, roused to their utmost energies by despair. The rebels advanced in three columns. Three or four rebel regiments attacked each regiment of the brigade. The troops, mostly from Indiana, fought with bravery never surpassed by veterans. Even the foe was constrained to do homage to their valor. Notwithstanding the vastly superior force of the enemy, and though unsupported by adequate artillery, twice the National troops drove their assailants back almost into their intrenchments. At last, having nearly exhausted their ammunition, and pressed by numbers three or four to one, the patriots slowly retired, contesting every inch of ground, when, with a rush and a cheer, the brigade of Gen. Wallace came from the centre to their aid., 'This brigade was composed of five Illinois regiments and one from Indiana.*

For five hours the blood-red tide of battle surged to and fro. For a long time one brigade of Gen. McClernand's division, under Colonel Oglesby, had to meet the whole force of the battle alone. Gen. McClernand sent to Gen. Wallace for reënforcements. But Gen. Wallace had received his instructions. They were to guard the centre, and thus prevent the enemy from making a sortie and escaping to the West. Gen. Wallace, however, forwarded the request to headquarters. Gen. Grant was not there. A courier was despatched, with all speed, to find him at the landing. Before an answer could be received, the request from Gen. McClernand was renewed with terrible urgency. He was overpowered; his flank was turned; his whole division would inevitably soon be cut to pieces, and thus the safety of the entire army be endangered. Gen. Wallace waited

* "The enemy did not retreat, but fell back contesting every inch of ground."-Gen. Pillow's Official Report.

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