Additional from Fort Donelson

FT. DONELSON via CAIRO, Feb. 17.

Two more regiments were captured to-day, and the rest of the entrenchments, and a number of troops have come in and gave themselves up.

About 12,000 stand of small arms have been taken.  Many of the rebel troops destroyed their arms, and large numbers were thrown in the river.

There are two water batteries – the upper one with the heavy rifled 32-pounders, two 32 lb carronades; the lower contains eight 32- pounders and one 10-inch columbiad, mounted on embrasures.

Two thousand bbls. of flour and twelve hundred boxes of beef with a large amount of other provisions were captured.

All of to-day has been occupied in embarking prisoners and gathering up stores of munitions and burying the dead.  There are a great number of dead rebels still unburied, as it has been thrown upon our men to do.

Capt. Logan, aid to Gen. Grant, goes to Clarksville to-morrow under flag of truce, with the bodies of two Colonels, and to effect an exchange of our wounded prisoners who have been sent to Nashville.

Gen. Grant received the official notice last night of the creation of a new military district – the district of Western Tennessee, – of which he is appointed commander, with headquarters at Fort Donelson.

Gen. Grant’s staff remains at present, with Maj. W. W. Leland attached as chief of commissary.

Ashland’s cavalry and Willard’s battery suffered no loss in killed.  Taylor’s battery acted nobly and was charged on five times on Sunday evening, every time repulsing the enemy with great slaughter.

Among the killed are the following officers: Capt. Wilson, Lieuts. Marsh, Sheats, Howell and Monroe of the 8th Ills.; Capt. Shaw, Sergt. Bendard of the 19th; Adjt. Kirkpatrick of the 30th.

Cols. John A. Logan, M. K. Lawler and Lt. Col. Ransam are but slightly wounded.

Maj. Post, who was reported killed was wounded and taken prisoner.

Capt. J. S. Slaymaker, of the 2d Iowa, was killed.

The Confirmation of Gen. C. F. Smith was received with great satisfaction by the soldiers.  His gallant charge of Saturday has made him deservedly popular among his men.

Gen. S. A. Hurlburt (sic) reported for duty to Gen. Grant this evening and has been assigned a division.

It is currently reported that Gov. Harris of Tenn., has ordered all Tennessee to lay down their arms.

The greatest indignation exists among the prisoners against Pillow and Floyd.

FORT DONELSON, Feb. 17.

The great fire, which was seen up the river from this point last night, was the burning fo the Tennessee rolling mills, some four miles from here, by our gunboats.  The works have been used by the rebels for the manufacture of shot and shell, and other materials of war.  It was an extensive concern.

Our soldiers have been engaged to-day in burying the dead on the battlefield.  The rebel dead will also be decently interred.  The spectacle on the field is a horrible one.

Gen. Grant has promulgated the most stringent orders against plundering from inhabitants, and also against stealing property taken in battle, all of which belongs to the government.

Before surrendering the rebels threw all their late mails into the river.   Col. Markland, U. S. Postal Director, succeeded, however, in seizing a number of mail bags and some outside letters, supposed to contain important information.

Floyd’s brigade when taking their departure threw their arms into the river to prevent them from falling into our hands, as they expected to be caught by our gunboats.  Their arms were Minie rifles of the best kind.  The crews of our gun-boats are now engaged in fishing them out of the river.

Capt. Dickson, the rebel chief of artillery and the engineer who constructed the fortifications here, was killed in the bombardment of Friday in one of his own batteries.  He is represented to have been a superior officer, and a great strength of the fortifications here attest the truth of this representation.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, February 20, 1862, p. 1