BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER, APRIL 12, 1861.

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CHILD'S HISTORY OF THE
UNITED STATES.

PART VI.

THE CIVIL WAR CONTINUED-ABRAHAM LINCOLN, SIXTEENTH
PRESIDENT-1861-5-1865.

CHAPTER III.

Buell's Campaign-Battle of Mill Spring-Zollicoffer Defeated by Thomas and Killed--The
Confederate Line Broken-Grant and Porter Move-Fort Henry Bombarded by the Fleet,
and Reduced before Grant Arrives-The Army and Fleet Moves upon Fort Donelson--The
Fleet Repulsed with Loss-Grant's Attack-Battle of Fort Donelson-Desperate Fighting
-The Confederate Commanders-The Surrender of the Fort-The new Confederate Line-
Island No. 10 Occupied by Them-It is Reduced-The War in Arkansas-Battle of Pea
Ridge-Operations on the Coast-The Burnside Expedition--Capture of Fort Pulaski-
Butler's Expedition to Louisiana.

BUELL'S army was at last properly organized and drilled to take
the field, and moved in five divisions. Two, under McCook and Nelson,
were to combine in an attack on Bowling Green, with a third under
General Mitchell as a reserve. General Thomas, with a fourth, was
watching Zollicoffer, who was near Somerset, and Crittenden, on the
right, lay near Cumberland Gap. On the 18th of January, the Con-
federates made the first movement against Thomas' position at Mill
Spring. It was a night attack. At four in the morning they rushed
on the camp of the United States forces, hoping to take it by surprise.

But they were on the alert, and for three hours a fierce fight went on amid the darkness of the forest. The men of Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Indiana bore the brunt, and finally, by a decisive charge, sent their assailants back in headlong flight, leaving two pieces of artillery, and strewing the way with muskets and knapsacks. Then General Zollicoffer, coming in the confusion on a party of United States officers, was killed by Colonel Fry. They did not even halt at their intrenched camp, which was entered by the victors in their pursuit, and taken with all its contents. In that direction Kentucky was wrested from the Confederates, and so discouraged were they that, fearing for all their forces in that State, General Beauregard was sent from Virginia to take command. Their main reliance was Fort Donelson and Fort Henry, on the Tennessee and Cumberland, forming, with Columbus, a chain of posts deemed almost impregnable. Against these General Halleck had planned a movement, confiding its execution to General Grant and Commodore Foote. Early in February they moved from Cairo, but the land force was delayed in its march, and, in fact, Grant thought himself rapid enough. Accordingly, when, on the 6th, Foote came in view of the Confederate work Fort Henry, General Grant had not arrived. This fort was a bastion earthwork, on the right bank of the Tennessee, armed with heavy guns, and inclosed in a line of breastworks for infantry. A road led from it across to Fort Donelson, on the left bank of the Cumberland. Without awaiting Grant's arrival, Foote resolved to attack at the hour he had appointed, without giving the enemy time to prepare. Advancing with his fleet in two divisions, he opened fire on Fort Henry, keeping steadily on till he was within six hundred yards. For a time the Confederate guns replied with vigor, even disabling the flag-ship Essex,

but they soon lost all heart, as gun after gun became disabled, and most of the garrison fled; so that when, after a contest of an hour and a quarter, General Tilghman found it impossible to induce the men to continue the fight, he ordered the infantry to retire to Fort Donelson, leaving him with his artillerists in the fort; so that when the Confederates raised a white flag, there were only the commander, General Tilghman, and sixty to surrender.

General Grant arrived at the close of the engagement, and took possession of the works, but was too late to cut off the retreat of the fugitives.

This second disaster of the Confederate cause deprived them of the Tennessee River, leaving it open to the United States gunboats. They were not slow to act: pushing on, they compelled the enemy to abandon and fire nearly all their boats on the river, a few only remaining to be captured by the flotilla, which penetrated to Florence, Alabama.

Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland, forty miles above its mouth on the Ohio, was an extensive earthwork, on a commanding hill near the town of Dover, scientifically constructed, well supplied with artiltery, and manned by at least thirteen thousand men. General Floyd commanded it, supported by Pillow and Buckner. Here it was evident that a desperate fight would be made. Concerting plans with Commodore Foote, General Grant moved upon it, and arriving before the fort on the 13th of February, posted his troops around it, skirmishing only to secure important positions. The next day Foote arrived, and with four ironclads and two wooden vessels opened fire on the fort. But the guns of Fort Donelson were better handled. After a severe fight, two vessels were disabled, and two seriously injured, so that he had to suspend the attack to repair. His fire had driven the Confederates from some of their batteries, but as the vessels drifted down