A rebel paper published at Nashville . . .

. . . thus seeks to extenuate the flight of the rebel troops from Fort Henry, when attacked by the Union forces.  Wonder what it will have to say of the taking of Fort Donelson:

It seems now that our authorities in charge of that fort, finding that the high water would prevent them from holding it concluded to evacuate it, retaining only enough men there to manage the guns.  The infantry, ammunition, provisions and sick, it is believed, were almost entirely removed before the attack commenced, and hence the Federals found an easy and barren victory.  Our forces retired to Ft. Donelson, while the steamboats bore away a good portion of the valuables up Tennessee river.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, February 18, 1862, p. 2