From Grant’s Expedition

FORT DONELSON INVESTED.

A Battle Progressing.

THE SEVENTH IOWA AGAIN WINNING LAURELS.

CAIRO, Feb. 14.

Capt. C. M. Williard, Co. A. Chicago Light Artillery, left Fort Henry day before yesterday, at half-past ten o’clock, and has just reached this city.

From him we learn that the Artillery left Fort Henry for Fort Donelson between three and four o’clock on the morning of the 12^th, with six regiments of infantry.  Gen. Grant, Staff, and Body Guard left at ten a. m. on the same day.  The rear guard left at two p. m.  The whole force was 40,000 men, with twenty-seven pieces of light artillery.

At four o’clock in the morning of the same day, eleven regiments left Paducah under convoy of the gunboats, to go up the Cumberland river, making the whole force over 50,000 men.  The gunboats expected to reach Fort Donelson at seven o’clock yesterday.  It was designed to attack Fort Donelson with the whole force yesterday afternoon.

Eight regiments of Infantry, two batteries of artillery, and six companies of cavalry (including two of Regulars), have petitioned the United States Senate to confirm Brigadier General Smith, as they would rather serve under him than any other General in the West.  Every commissioned officer in the two brigades signed the application except two.

Ferree, the Chicago Tribune’s correspondent at Paducah, was ordered to leave that place [instantly] on the first boat, up or down.  The first boat happening to be going up the Tennessee river, the “Chevalier” left on the first boat upstream, which was the way he did not want to go, but the order was imperative.

CAMP IN FIELD, NEAR FT. DONELSON,

Feb. 13 – 12:30 P. M.

Fort Donelson is invested by our troops. – Our lines are formed from right to left, from north to south, nearly surrounding the fort.

Heavy cannonading and skirmishing has been going on since 7 1-2 o’clock a. m.  Owing to the extent of our line of action, little can be learned of the result.  I hear however, that the Captain of Company I, 7^th Illinois has been killed.

Gen. McClernand’s division is opening on the right, Maj. Gen. Smith on the left.

We had but one gun boat to play upon the fort until within the last half hour, since when the other gun boats are firing on the fort.

The force estimated within the breastworks from the best information is about 15,000.  No reinforcements can now arrive.  All communication is cut off.

It is now thought that their left redoubt has fallen into our hands.  All the officers are acting with great valor, exhibiting a fearlessness highly creditable to our western army.

Gen. Grant and staff have been riding along the lines all the morning, regardless of the grape that is being showered in every direction.

SECOND DISPATCH

CAMP IN FIELD, NEAR FT. DONELSON,

Feb. 13 – 8 P. M.

The cannonading and skirmishing have continued briskly all day, but have lately discontinued.  A considerable number have been wounded on both sides.

Capt. Walker, of the Carondelet, says he has dismounted three of the enemy’s river guns.  The other gun-boats had not arrived up to six o’clock this morning.

Capt. Brink, with a company of cavalry, went around to the left bank of the river, this afternoon, and reports the gun-boat Carondelet received a 10-inch mortar-ball through her casement, which wounded eight men, but did not injure the boat materially.

The 25^th Indiana, which marched boldly up to the entrenchments had, during the day, forty-two of their men wounded – all slightly.  The 7^th Illinois and the 7^th Iowa, who have been close to the enemy’s fire, lost some men.  Among the killed is Capt. Wendell, of Co. I, 7^th Illinois, and Colonel Morgan of the 9^th Illinois, is wounded.

Birge’s Sharp Shooters have done good service by picking off the connoniers as fast as they appeared at the guns.

The enemy’s rifle shots and grape have been flying thick and fast about here all day.  Some six shots struck around Gen. Grant and staff.  This afternoon while they were riding along the lines, one bullet hit one of the horses of the body-guard near by.

The fort will be stormed in two days, if not surrendered before.

One company has been within 75 yards of the enemy’s entrenchments.

FORT HENRY, Feb. 12.

Gen. Lew Wallace has been left in command of this post and its dependences.

The steamer Illinois, which left here yesterday morning for Paris Landing and the mouth of the Sandy, in charge of Col. Jon Riggins, Jr., aid to Gen. Grant, with two companies of Birge’s sharp shooters, commanded by Capt. Campbell, returned here this evening loaded down with provisions, flour, tobacco, and all manner of stores and goods, the whole camp equipage and baggage of the regiments.

The value of property brought down will exceed one hundred thousand dollars.

The Memphis Avalanche, of the 8^th has the following dispatches in reference to the Fort Henry affair:

NASHVILLE, Feb. 7.

A dispatch from Hon. John Bell, from Fort Donelson, this morning, says that Gen. Pillow was expected at Fort Donelson with 8,000 or 10,000 more troops, by 8 o’clock Saturday morning.

Not many lives were lost at Fort Henry.  Our forces were driven out principally by shells from the enemy’s gunboats.  The Tennessee bridge was burned between five and six o’clock last evening.  Our forces retreating upon Fort Donelson were pursued by the enemy.

It is reported here in Nashville, this evening, that Fort Henry is inundated.

Gen. Pillow has been assigned to the command at Fort Donelson.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, February 17, 1862, p. 1