CAIRO, Feb. 17.
A dispatch from Gen. Grant says that the fort surrendered unconditionally on Sunday night.
Our cavalry are in hot pursuit of the great thief, Floyd, and hope to capture him and the rest of the flying rebels.
This great victory gives us Tennessee within a week, the old star-spangled banner will float over Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville. The backbone of the rebellion is broken, the Union is saved, and the Illinois troops are entitled to the chief-share of the glory.
Col. C. C. Marsh, of the 20th Ills., formerly of the Chicago Light Guard, was made a Brigadier on the field for his exhibition of desperate valor.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18.
The Republican’s Fort Donelson correspondent gives the following account of the fighting on Saturday:
Yesterday morning, just at daylight, a heavy sortie was made by the garrison from the left portion of their works.
This attack was made upon the extreme right wing of the Union army where it was weakest. During the night the enemy could be heard busily at work, but what at, it was impossible to tell as thicket woods encompassed the union troops on every side, rendering the view in any direction almost impossible. At daylight a large body of the enemy suddenly appeared on the extreme right wing of Col. Oglelsby’s command and opened a terrible fire with cannon from their redoubts, firing at the same time upon our forces from guns placed in position on the night previous.
The camp of the 29th and 31st Ill. Was most exposed, and the whole brigade was at once formed into line as follows: The 18th Ill. Held the extreme right; the 8th Ill. Next; the 30th Ill. next; then the 29th Ill. Supporting on the right of Capt. Schwartz’s battery; the 31st Ill. defending the artillery on the left. From the firing of the first gun until 9 o’clock, the battle raged unremittingly and with fearful loss on both side[s]. Again and again our troops drove the enemy back, but they were afterwards reinforced, while our troops had, owing to the extended lines of the army and also their position on the extreme right, to fight unassisted. More gallant fighting never took place than that of the union troops exposed to the terrible firing of treble their number. They stood their ground until in some regiments every officer was killed or wounded.
At last, and reluctantly, regiment by regiment, they slowly fell back, leaving Schwartz’s battery and 3 of McAllister’s guns in the rebels’ hands. Retiring a few hundred yards, they again made a stand, and Gen. Smith arrived with reinforcements, and at once drove the enemy again into their works. In the first of the battle was also Gen. Wallace’s brigade, the 12th, 17th and 18th; also Col. McArthur’s brigade, all of which troops suffered severely. Opposed to them were 12,000 rebels supported by guns carefully in position.
Gen. Grant, having command of a division, drove the enemy back with reinforcements, and gained the lost ground. He at once ordered an advance by Gen. Smith on the left, charging under a hot fire up the steep hill on which was the out redoubt. – Our troops gained the high breastworks, and with hardly a pause, went over them, planting the Stars and Stripes over the walls. – Under a most galling fire they formed and charged, and drove the rebels back, until they fell into a new position behind some batteries. When evening came the Union troops had been victorious at every point, having gained back the ground lost in the morning; and got within part of the enemy’s works. Our troops held their position during the night, repelling the repeated assaults.
The scene within the captured fort, after the surrender, showed how terribly the rebel garrison had suffered. Everywhere were lying fragments of shells, and round shot half buried in the earth. Tents were torn to pieces, gun carriages broken, and blood scattered around.
In the left redoubt, where the assault had taken place, the dead bodies lay thickly. Abundant evidence of the stern resistance and gallant attack was visible.
On the extreme right, half a mile distant, where the desperate sorties were made by the garrison, similar scenes were visible.
The gallantry of the Union troops has been well and severely tested, and they have proved more than equal to the task before them.
As the fleet approached the fort this morning a salute was fired, and loud cheers went up when the American flags were visible. No officer in the army had an idea of Fort Donelson’s defences [sic] until they had been gained and examined.
Several regiments when out of ammunition rushed forward, and although exposed to the full fire of the rebel artillery, gallantly drove their foes back with the bayonet and captured their guns. The following are the names of some of the rebel officers captured: Col. Garset, Col. Voorhees, Col. Forrest, Col. Brown and Col. Abernathy.
CAIRO, Feb. 17.
The steamer Memphis arrived from Fort Donelson this evening, bringing a Miss. Regiment prisoners, and 50 or 60 wounded soldiers, who were left at Mound City. Eight or more other boats are on their way with rebel prisoners.
The rebels who escaped are supposed to have gone to Nashville, where or at Clarksville it is supposed the rebels will attempt to make another stand. This evening a great light was seen for several hours in the direction of Clarksville. It is supposed the rebels either burned the town or their steamboats in the river to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Federals. Rebel officers admit that if we take Nashville, the rebellion in Tennessee is gone up.
The prisoners will probably be brought to camp Douglas, Chicago.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, February 19, 1862, p. 1
