till morning, when, with the aid of artillery, they were confident of taking the intrenchments. Meanwhile, another charge was being made further along the line by General Smith with his Hawkeyes, Indianamen, and Missourians. When the order was brought, 'tis said the General's' eyes shone, for his spirit had been kindled by the repulse of our columns.

I'll do it,' he exclaimed. Tell General Grant I'll do it.' This Smith is said to be a most gallant soldier. He requires nothing of his men that he is not willing to do or bear himself. He is too proud even to 'dodge' a ball, and he received a serious wound in this battle, owing to his boldness at the front. While other men bowed their heads before the rushing bullets, the General rode swift and erect, calling to his troops, 'Charge bayonets! Forward! Doublequick, March!' They answered

with exultant cheers as their leader, waving his hat on the point of his sword, pressed toward the hostile guns. The column was 'stormed at with shot and shell,'

but closed shoulder to shoulder as one man after another dropped by the way. They scaled the ramparts, and it is said our General rode his horse to the top of them. One volley was sent crashing inside, and then with fixed bayonets these ardent Western boys struck into the mass of rebels. The soldiers who had been driven back in the morning, now returned, re-took the lost ground, and poured their fire also into the enemy's lines. The greybacks fled, as well they might, and looking back in their flight, they saw the stars of our Flag gleaming over the ramparts of Donelson!"

"And that's the way the Fort was taken?" cried Franklin. "Good for the Boys in Blue!"

"Tell us some more, please," asked little Maedy, listening with eager eyes and parted lips. "What came next?"

"Then came the night-fall. The lines were drawn close about the Fort, and every man was commanded to be at his post in readiness for an attack with the

bayonet next morning. How long the grim determination of our boys would have kept them battering down these ramparts we cannot tell, for at daybreak Sunday morning, February sixteenth, a messenger appeared from the rebel general, Buckner, who proposed to consult on terms of surrender, and suggested an armistice, that is a pause in the battle,Grant replied, let me see,—I must tell you his very words," said Mr. Warren, searching his pocket-book. "It's a famous dispatch. Ah, this is it.

till noon.

"No terms except unconditional surrender can be accepted!' That means you must give up the Fort without any words, and right away. I propose to move immediately upon your works.' The rebel grumbled, but 'owing to the distribution of forces' under his command, which must mean the scampering off of Pillow and Floyd Saturday night, with their brigades of five thousand,-you remember, boys, Floyd is not only a thief, but a runagate— light-footed as well as light-fingered-the

commander was forced to yield to the stern man waiting outside the walls. After the surrender, one of the rebels shot a Union major in the back, and wounded him severely; whereupon Grant ordered. them all to be instantly disarmed. Buckner grumbled again, saying that the order was 'unchivalrous,' and I know not what else. They say that our General is no .talker; but anger made him eloquent for once, and the result was the longest speech. probably, that he has ever made. He reminded the rebel of his unconditional surrender a fact that he had apparently forgotten, and drew a striking contrast between the 'chivalry' of the two armies; the Confederates stripping our dead, and otherwise insulting them, crowding officers and privates into cotton-pens and prisons, while the prisoners we took enjoyed their parole, and their wounded received the same care as our own. I disarm you, because I must protect my officers from assassination,' he said in conclusion. The

Brazen-mouthed traitor was silenced, and hung his head for shame.

"The rebel prisoners were an army of themselves, nearly ten thousand men,among them Buckner, Brig.-General Johrson, and other officers. Beside these, vası quantities of treasure fell into our hands; forty pieces of artillery, ammunition, supplies, mules, military stores, etc. More than two thousand Union men, and fully that number of rebels were wounded or slain."

"I have read of an Illinois Colonel, engaged in the battle at Donelson," said Mrs. Warren, who had listened to the story. "He was shot in both thighs, and on being taken to the rear, wanted to have his wound dressed without delay. He was afraid his men would hear of his injury, and hoped he could go back immediately and deal out ammunition to them. 'No,' said the surgeon, you must go to the hospital.' But I fired twenty-two rounds after I was hit,' said the brave fellow, 'and after you dress my wound I can fire