CHAPTER VIII.

GRANT'S MILITARY CAREER.

(CONTINUED.)

Colonel of the Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers-Brigadier General-His Fellows of that Rank-Captures Forts Henry and Donelson-Is Promoted to Major General-Battle of Shiloh.

THIS was early in July, 1861, and in August Grant received a commission as full brigadier general. His commission dates from the May preceding. He was one of the first "batch" of brigadier generals of volunteers, and amongst the rest were Heintzelman, Franklin, Couch, Kearney, Sherman, Pope, Buel, Sigel and twenty-five others, the most of whom became more famous as politicians than as soldiers. Grant's district embraced the Mississippi and its valley from Cape Girardeau to New Madrid, and the lower part of the Ohio Valley, including all of Western Kentucky. Establishing his headquarters at Cairo, the most important strategic point in all that valley, Grant threw a force over into Paducah just in time to save that point from being occupied by Bishop Polk's rebels, who would doubtless otherwise have soon shelled him out of Cairo, and made havoc generally.

THE BATTLE OF BELMONT.

Grant's first engagement was on the 7th of No

vember, at Belmont, a small town on the west, or right, bank of the Mississippi, opposite Columbus, Ky. This engagement wore the appearance of a defeat, since it ended by the Union force retreating to their starting point, leaving their dead and wounded in the enemy's hands. Subsequent reports, however, put a different phase upon it, as it was made to appear what was the object of the expedition. This, according to the official report of General Grant, was mainly to demonstrate upon Polk's works, and prevent him from reinforcing some troops against whom Pope was operating in Missouri. If so, its object was accomplished, though not without severe loss to the attacking party; viz., 84 killed and 300 wounded and missing out of a command of 2,850 men. Of the five regiments of infantry, one battery and two squadrons of cavalry engaged, the 7th Iowa Infantry suffered most seriously. The rebel loss is stated by some authorities as high as one thousand men; and the rebel force was certainly larger than ours. The affair was of the nature of a forest skirmish, and was waged with great courage and desperation on both sides. It was, however, magnified into a grave defeat, the public mind being morbidly excited after the disasters of Big Bethel and Bull Run, with which the war opened. It proved to be almost the only engagement of this great commander's many trying campaigns which could be construed into a defeat, even by the most captious of his detractors

CAPTURE OF FORT HENRY.

The brilliant engagements ending with the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, of which Grant was the directing genius, occurred in the February following, having been set on foot some weeks earlier. By the middle of January the Rebels had established a pretty continuous and well defended line (so far as numerical forces were concerned), stretching from Manassas to Columbus. Lying in this line were several important strategic pointsnone more so than Forts Henry and Donelsontwo strong earthworks which had been thrown up and were rapidly being finished off as first-class forts, situated respectively on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, where those great navigable streams approach within twelve miles of each other, and not far south of the boundary between Tennessee and Kentucky. Against these Grant moved early in February, with twenty regiments of infantry, one regiment and four independent companies of cavalry and four batteries of artillery, as land forces, aided by six river gun boats, of the pattern then just originated, under Commodore Foote. Fort Henry was easily taken, the gallant Commodore having indeed secured its capitulation before the land forces arrived in front.

FORT DONELSON.

The easily won victory of Fort Henry was followed by the capture of Fort Donelson, won at the end of two day's hard fighting. Fort Donelson was defended by Generals Floyd and Pillow, with a force

of sixteen to eighteen thousand men and a very heavy armament of columbiads and field pieces. The work was a very strong one, every way worthy in the engineering skill which had placed and planned it to defend the most important stragetic point west of the Blue Ridge. The movement upon Donelson from the fort on the Tennessee was made on the 11th of February; but the engagement on land was not commenced until the 15th. (The gunboats had been pounding away during the two previous days, and had damaged seriously the water batteries of the fort, and at the same time experienced severe punishment themselves.)

Grant's forces consisted of the divisions of Generals McClernand, C. F. Smith, and Lew. Wallace. The first of these was furiously attacked by a force of 10,000 rebels, hurled suddenly against them at day break. The engagement thus inaugurated was continued all day with varying fortune, Grant sending McClernand heavy reinforcements from Smith and Wallace, and at the same time pushing the attack on the right of the enemies lines, which had been left weakened by the massing in front of McClernand. A dashing charge was made, led by Smith in person, and all the positions carried. This was the turning point in the engagement. Night closed in and the attack was to have been renewed and the advantage followed up in the morning; but with the morning came a flag of truce with a note, proposing a capitulation. It was from Simon B. Buckner-not from Floyd, nor yet from Pillow, both of

whom had ignominiously fled during the night.

GRANT'S CORRESPONDENCE IN THE Field.

The correspondence which ensued between the victorious and the defeated commanders has become famous, and, being remarkably laconic, may be properly given here. Buckner who was much more of a soldier by nature than his superiors, and who was evidently disgusted at their course, lost no time in sending Grant the following note:

"Head-quarters, Fort DONELSON, February 16th, 1862. 'SIR-In consideration of all the circumstances governing the present situation of affairs at this station, I propose to the commanding officer of the Federal forces the appointment of commissioners to agree upon terms of capitulation of the forces and fort under my command, and in that view suggest an armistice until twelve o'clock to-day.

"I am sir very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"S. B. BUCKNER, "Brigadier-General, C. S. A.

"TO BRIGADIer-General GRANT commanding United States forces near Fort Donelson."

To which Grant made this memorable reply:

HEAD-QUARTers, Army in the Field, "Camp Near DONELSON, February 16th, 1862.

"TO GENERAL S. B. BUCKNER, Confederate Army.

No terms other than

"Yours of this date, proposing an armistice and appointment of commissioners to settle terms of capitulation, is just received. an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.

"I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

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"U. S. GRANT, Brigadier-General, U. S. A., Commanding." And soon the final answer came from Buckner:

HEAD-QUARTErs, Dover, TeNN., February 16th, 1862. "TO BRIGADier-GeneraL U. S. GRANT, U. S. A.:

"SIR-The distribution of the forces under my command, incident to an unexpected change of commanders and the overwhelming force under your