Trip to Bowling Green, Nashville and Fort Donelson

INDIANAPOLIS, March 18^th, 1862.

EDITOR GAZETTE. – On my return from Davenport ten days since I joined a friend in a trip to Dixie in which I saw much to interest me, and though your numerous war correspondents have given you information of events happening in the region visited, I will venture to send a few lines.  We left this place Friday evening, the 8^th inst., for Louisville, and the following morning took cars from that city for Bowling Green.  It was the first day that Passengers were allowed to leave Southward-bound without a pass. Though an examination of baggage was still made.  A few camps in the immediate vicinity of Louisville, and throng of soldiers on the train made one thoroughly conscious of the troublesome times in which we live.  Near [Munfordville] the desolation caused by the late military occupation of the country was spread everywhere, and the soil with the constant treading it had undergone had become a vast bed of mortar like mud.  The soldiers left there, whom we saw, were those who had been too sick to join the forward movement made a few weeks since and now their sunken eyes, sallow skins and drawling gait as they moved told too sorrowfully the tail of their sufferings.  It was the saddest sight I ever witnessed.

Green River Bridge which we crossed was one of the finest structures of the kind in the country, but it too had suffered from the hands of the Philistines, one of its fine stone piers having been destroyed by order of the renegade, General Buckner.  Our forces have constructed a substantial trestle to span the broken section of the bridge and our trains have passed on it for sometime.  Not far from here my attention was called to notice a field in which, in December last, a battle had been fought, between some three hundred of the Indiana Thirty Second (German regiment) and a much larger force of the rebels, Texan Rangers.  The Indianians fought bravely and repulsed their foe.  An instance that occurred in the fight is worth recording as characterizing the bravery and endurance sometimes shown in our miscalled degenerate day.  A lieutenant of the thirty-second was surrounded by the enemy; he fought them vigorously, and laid eight of his assailants in the dust, where they were afterwards found around his own corpse.  At last, with several mortal wounds, he gathered his remaining strength for a final effort and seizing the bridle of a horse with his hand, he made a desperate leap and caught the cheek of the foe between his teeth and held his death grip so firmly as to unsaddle and bring him to the ground.

As the train approached Bowling Green the conductor pointed out the various spots of interest near that place.  The bridges for the railroad and turnpike have been destroyed, and the nature of the cannel and the bottom of the Barren river, with some other unfavorable circumstances, will occasion a good deal of delay in repairing them.  At present the train stops about half a mile north of the river, and fully a mile from the town.  The south side of the river has a precipitous bank, admirably adapted for defence, and three hills in the vicinity of commanding height, enclosing a triangular area, have been fortified.  The highest in the outskirts of the village is known as College Hill – so named, no doubt, in honor of a prospective college building, the half reared walls of which have been used to add strength and extent to the fortifications.  The works are of inferior construction, unable to withstand a close pressed investment.  The parapet is built mainly of stone and logs, either of which scattered by a common shot are quite as bad to the defenders as a bomb shell.

The town is a God-forsaken place, having been more than exhausted by the rebels, and not being in much of a way for improvements since the advent of the Federals.  Whoever enters it from the north pays tribute to a sea of mud in crossing the river bottom and finds himself at the only hotel, in an outrageously dirty hole.  I saw the marks of several of the shells that Gen. Mitchell sent into the place on his first approach, and that made the rebel magnates “skedaddle” so promptly.  A marvel of the town is a Union man, the owner of a livery stable and a number of other connected buildings, to which the chivalry were in the act of applying the torch on the day above mentioned, when a shell with Gen. Mitchell’s compliments hit the building, doing slight damage.  The event was ominous, and the fleeing traitors left the buildings unburned.  The shell is kept by the owner of them, and will no doubt, recall in days to come, the fortunate hit it made.  The Louisville and Nashville R. R. had here a fine passenger and freight station, round houses, &c., which with six locomotives, machinery, &c., were burned.  In the ruins I saw pieces of guns, beef bones with the burnt meat still adhering where they had burned a considerable quantity of quartermaster stores, which they had no time to remove – rum, ruin, everywhere.

The passage from Bowling Green south is made with a half burned locomotive, which the rebels failed to destroy entirely or to steal, it is weak, and necessitates a delay that compelled waiting until the next day before proceeding on our journey. – The track is very bad in places, having just been repaired.  The arrival of our forces was a fortunate occurrence in this relation, the rebels having impressed the citizens along the line to begin a certain day to destroy it utterly.  But they miscalculated.  Gen. Mitchell had a word to say, which retarded the operation.  Ten miles from Nashville a temporary bridge obstructed our journey, it being too frail to allow a locomotive to pass, we waited an hour or two till a train going north to met us, the cars were pushed over, engines changed, and about 4 p. m. we were on the banks of the Cumberland, waiting the ferry boat to land us in the Rock City.

It was Sunday afternoon; the weather delightfully pleasant, particularly so to one who had just left snow-drifts and storms in Iowa.  The streets were thronged with gaily dressed contrabands, grinning with delight at the novelty of their surroundings, and strongly contrasting with the grim acidity of their masters.  At the St. Cloud we gained comfortable quarters, soiled the hotel register with Yankee signatures, but a few pages from the entries of the chivalry from all parts of the confederacy.  The halls and porches of the house were thronged with officers of our army; a few citizens mingled with them without intercourse.

I remained in Nashville two days, which afforded me a chance to see the city, and draw some inferences in relation to the loyalty of the citizens.  But few of them have any feeling worth the name of Unionism.  Many of them will take the oath of allegiance for business purposes, and violate it so soon as a chance occurs.  I saw numbers of them come from the office of the Provost Marshal, walking hurriedly away, and watching the sidewalk, too sneaking to look an honest man in the face, and by their conduct marking their allegiance as spurious.  I met many acquaintances, old comrades in camp, who are connected with Gen. Buell’s army, from whom I learned much in relation to our forces and movements, which is contraband information under present orders.

From Nashville we took steamer for Ft. Donelson, and experienced to our heart’s content the annoyance and uncertainty of traveling in a border country.  The captain of the boat was two days in learning whether his departure would be for Somerset, four hundred miles up the Cumberland, Cairo, the upper Tennessee, or Pittsburgh.  At every stopping place with a telegraph station, a new order would be received changing the route, and the captain was certainly the most harassed man I have seen in some time.

We were at Fort Donelson half a day, which afforded a chance to see the works and visit points of most interest.  I obtained as trophies a couple of Secesh knives, known as “Mississippi tooth-picks.”  They are barbarous in manufacture and looks, characterizing well with the institution they were to defend.  I will not attempt any descriptions of the locality.  The works are strong for their kind, and were surrendered through cowardice.  The late improvements in the materiel of war are such as to make, I believe, all field works untenable against a well prepared assailant.  The ground there is well fitted for defence from assault, and yet so characterized that sharp shooters can approach and silence the artillery unless it be protected by casemates, saying nothing of the virtue of the assailing shells. 

At Smithland we changed steamers for Paducah and Cairo.  Slept all night on the guards of a steamboat that was loaded with sick for the hospitals below.  The sight of the poor sufferers was terrible, and prompted the bitterest anathemas against the promoters of the rebellion.

At Paducah, while awaiting departure for Cairo, a steamer from Missouri river came up alongside and stopped for a few minutes. It had aboard the Eleventh Iowa, bound for some point on the Tennessee.  I went aboard, and met for a moment with Lt. Col. Hall and lady.  Found them in good health, though saddened with the loss of their only child.  The boys of the 11^th were in the best of spirits.  Numbers of them recognized me as from Davenport, and entrusted letters to my care to be mailed at Cairo.  I showed them one of my “Mississippi tooth-picks” which did not intimidate them in the least.  They were well pleased with the sight, and will no doubt if a chance is offered them, win specimens for themselves.

At Cairo I visited the gunboat Louisville, met unexpectedly an old ‘comrade  in arms,” and was shown everything of interest about here.  Saw where the shot hit her in the Fort Donelson engagement, etc.  They are truly a terrible engine of ware, and have in addition to their cannon an abundance of hand weapons to resist any attempt to board them – pikes, pistols, cutlasses, and an arrangement for throwing hot water in a quantity quite irresistible.  The boats expected to leave immediately for Island No 10.  I wanted much to go with them, but engagements here prevented it.  Since then they have made the attack.

I arrived here after just one week’s absence amply repaid for the trip by the knowledge gained for the operations of active war.  Yours,

D. TORREY.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 22, 1862, p. 2

Columbus, Ky., March 4 [1862]

At 10 o’clock this morning the 27^th, 52d and 55^th Illinois Regiments hoisted the stars and stripes over the rebel fortifications at Columbus.

The gunboats Cincinnati, Flag ship Louisville, Carondelet, St. Louis and Lexington, with four more boats in tow of the steamer Lake Erie, and the 27^th Ill., Col. Buford, 52d Ill., Col. Roberts and 55^th Ill., Major Sanger, acting Colonel, upon the transports Aleck Scott, Illinois, Magill and Ike Hammit, left Cairo this morning at 4 o’clock for Columbus.

The fleet arrived at Lucas Bend, about two miles above Columbus, at 6 o’clock, and was drawn up in line of battle.  The drums beat to quarters, and guns were manned ready for action.  Two tugs were sent in advance reconnoitering, but failed to provoke a shot from the enemy.  Everything about the works was quiet.  Glasses revealed stragglers on the bluff and about the water batteries, and in a few moments a flag was raised.  Its character could not be made out.

The fleet gradually neared the town, and laid in the stream of Belmont battlefield, while scouts were sent out upon tugs towards the rebel works.  The tugs cautiously approached until within a quarter of a mile of the batteries, found the works deserted and both set off at the top of their speed for the honor of landing first.  The scouts rushed on the ‘double quick’ to the top of the bluff, and unfurled the stars and stripes, which were saluted by the crews of the gunboats as they steamed up to the town.  The transports landed their troops, and Columbus was in our possession.

The works were entirely destroyed, and the barracks, or rather rough board and log cabins, were burned.  An immense amount of stores and ordnance fell into our hands.  Many of their cannon were thrown into the river.  Six thirty-two pounders, some howitzers, and an almost innumerable quantity of grape, canister, shell and round shot, were found in the batteries.  The fortifications were very extensive, and its natural position almost impregnable.

Columbus is completely destroyed. – Every building was thoroughly ransacked and the contents destroyed by the rebels.  The rebels commenced leaving on Thursday last and finished yesterday.  The largest number ever there was 37,000.  Beauregard was not there.  It is believed that when the river falls all their guns will be found.

The land forces, mortar boats and the gunboat St. Louis remain in possession of the town.  The balance of the boats returned to Cairo in the afternoon.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, March 6, 1862, p. 1

The Latest from Fort Donelson

A TERRIBLE BATTLE PROGRESSING.

The Loss Sever on both Sides.

Our men Fight like Tigers.

THE REBELS HOIST THE BLACK FLAG.

CUMBERLAND RIVER,

NEAR FORT DONALSON [sic], Feb. 15.

The Chicago Tribune, to relieve the anxiety of the people, presents the following special to be sent in advance of publication:

Our firing commenced again at daybreak and continued at intervals all day long up to 4 o’clock.  No Movement or assault by the land force had been made.  Night before last an attempt was made by the rebels to take Taylor’s battery of light artillery, but they were repulsed by two regiments and driven back beyond their entrenchments.  Our loss in wounded is considerable but not more than 3 or 4 are dangerously wounded.

Six gunboats arrived yesterday and commenced an attack on the fort at 2 p.m.  The firing was very rapid and severe, and lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes, when our gun boats fell back.

The four iron clad boats went within 300 yards of the Fort.

All of the river guns except six were either dismounted or silenced.  The first shot fired from the Louisville dismounted the rebels’ 128 pounder.  The Louisville received fifty-seven shots, two of which took effect, on striking the starboard side of her deck and passing through the length of the boat, and broke her tiller rope a short distance from the pilot house.  The rope was then managed by some of the hands, when a shell from the Taylor [sic], which lay some distance astern, burst over the Louisville, scattering the men at the tiller rope and so much disabled the steering tackle that the boat was compelled to drop astern.

One shot struck the Pittsburg in the bow and stove an immense hole in her, which caused her to withdraw out of action.  The leak however, has been stopped.

One shot struck the pilot house of the St. Louis, passing through it between the pilot’s legs without injuring him.  All of the boats were more or less injured, but none but the Louisville seriously.  There were 5 killed and two wounded on the Louisville.

The gunboats will not be in condition to renew their attack before to-morrow morning.  In consequence of the [height] of the bluffs on which their fortifications are built, our shot cannot have as much effect on them as those of Fort Henry; therefore it will require a much longer time to reduce this fort.

The rebels have raised the black flag.  It can be seen flying from the bank, a short distance above here.

CAMP IN THE FIELD, near Ft. Donelson,

Feb 15th, p.m.

The right wing of our forces commenced the storming of the right wing of Fort Donelson about noon, and have taken the right wing of the enemy’s fortification, over which the stars and stripes are now floating in triumph.  The opposing forces are now almost breast to breast, ready to open the work of death on each other almost at any moment.

We have lost two Lieut. Cols. Killed, one of whom is Lieut. Col. Smith, of the 48th Illinois and two Cols. Wounded.  The 18th regiment fought like tigers, and are [badly] cut up.  The loss on both sides is pretty severe.  More particulars soon.

Schwartz’s battery captured by the rebels this morning has been retaken.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 15.

Assistant Secretary of War Thomas A. Scott arrived here to-night from Cairo.  He reports that the fighting at Fort Donelson was suspended on both sides yesterday. – Our troops are suffering considerable from exposure, being unprovided with tents. – They are in excellent spirits, however, and are eager to resume the battle.

Dispatches to Gov. Yates, from the commanding officer at Cairo, state that the fort is completely invested, the enemy driven in from their outworks, and all chances for retreat or reinforcements cut off.

Col. Morrison is said to be severely, but not mortally wounded.

The success of the army is considered beyond the possibility of doubt.

The supposition at Cairo is, that Columbus will be attacked at once by land forces from below and by the river from above.

Gen. Grant is said to have at least 50,000 men under his command.

Several mortar boats are leaving Cairo daily.

Gen. Halleck telegraphs Gen. McClellan that the fort is completely invested – retreat form it and reinforcements to it being cut off.

Surrender or extermination appear to be the alternative.

Pillow, Floyd, Buckner and other noted rebels are in the fort.

Four Brigadier Generals are reported now in the Fort.  Gens. Pillow, Buckner, Floyd and Johnston [sic].

Altogether out loss to-day is about 250 in killed and wounded.  Capt. Mitchell of the 7th Ills. Was killed early in the morning.

Col. Ogelsby says, we came here to take that fort, and we do not intend to leave until we do it.

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

By Telegraph

WASHINGTON, February 17.

Gen. McClellan has received a dispatch fully confirming the capture of Fort Donelson.

ST. LOUIS, February 17.

Dispatches from Gen. Grant to Gen. Halleck announce the surrender of Fort Donelson with 15,000 prisoners, including Johnston [sic], Pillow and Buckner.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 17.

Further official advices from Fort Donelson say Gen. Floyd escaped during the night with 5,000 men, and the rebels in the fort denounced him as a black hearted traitor and coward.

The enemy are known to have had thirty thousand troops, fifteen thousand of whom are our prisoners.  Five thousand escaped, and the balance are reported killed, wounded or otherwise disabled.

Our loss is not stated, but the slaughter in our ranks is mentioned as terribly severe.

Previous to the surrender our forces en route had most all arrived.

Gen. Halleck intended to leave to-day, but orders for preparations were countermanded on receipt of Fort Donelson dispatches.

The steamer John Warner left to-day with Gen. Hamilton, the 25th Mo. Regiment and 3d Mich. Battery, for the Tennessee river.

The greatest activity prevails at the Arsenal here, backing cartridges and loading shell for shipment down the river.

It is reported on high military authority that Gen. Curtis captured most of Price’s men after leaving Springfield, including his Chief Adjutant.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 17.

Fort Donelson surrendered at 9 o’clock yesterday morning to the land force.  The gun boats were present at the time.

An immense amount of war material is among the trophies of the victory.

Floyd skulked away the night before the surrender.

The gun boat Carondolet, Capt. Walker, arrived at Cairo with the news.

A large number of our wounded have been brought to the Paducah and Cairo Hospitals.

This city is wild with excitement and joy.  The news was received at the Union Merchants exchange, creating the most intense enthusiasm.  The Star Spangled Banner, the flag of our Union, and Red White and Blue were sung by all present, after which they adjourned and marched to the army headquarters, 120 to 150 strong, where three rousing cheers were given for Halleck and Foote.  Halleck appeared at the window and thanked the people for their hearty demonstrations and said: “I promised, when I came here, that with your aid I would drive the enemies of our flag from your State.  This has been done and they are virtually out of Kentucky and soon will be out of Tennessee.”

More cheers were given for the Union, the Star Spangled Banner was repeated, and the crowd dispersed.

Judge Holt wept for joy when he heard the news.  Many stores are closed, and the city is being decorated with flags, and evidences of great joy are everywhere manifest.

Gov. Yates, Sec. Hatch and Auditor Dubois, of Ills., left for Ft. Donelson this forenoon, to look after the wounded Illinois troops.

A requisition has been made for all the steamboats in this vicinity, to be held in readiness for the transportation of troops and Government stores.

ST. LOUIS, February 17.

The casualties on the gun-boats at Fort Donelson are as follows: St. Louis, 3 killed, including P. R. Riley of Cincinnati.  Two wounded, among them Lieut. Kendall, slightly.  Louisville, 5 sailors killed; 4 slightly wounded and 2 severely, each having both arms shot away.  Carondelet, 4 killed and 6 badly wounded, including Wm. Hunter.  Pilot, 2 severely.  Pittsburg, 2 wounded.

The force en route for Fort Donelson, had mostly come up and were located on the left.

Gen. Lew Wallace, with the 8th Missouri and 11th Indiana arrived Friday.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, February 18, 1862, p. 1

From Cairo

(Special to the Hawk-Eye.)

CAIRO, May 14.

The steamers Memphis and Thomas, just arrived from Pittsburg Landing, bring little news of importance.  The Memphis brings 400 sick.

Deserters from Corinth are coming in hourly.  They report 200,000 men under Beauregard, and say our forces are reported to them at 350,000.

The woods about Corinth were full of deserters.  A Mississippi Regiment is placed as guard.  Thirty dollars was offered for the arrest of each deserter.

The Memphis Avalanche says the Federal fleet was returning to New Orleans, and glories over the late victory at Fort Pillow – says they lost two men killed and eight wounded.

STREET.

CAIRO, May 15.

Gen. Mitchell has reached Corinth, bringing over two thousand prisoners, taken in Alabama.

The rebel cavalry are roving over the country, between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, doing what damage they can, and keeping the inhabitants in constant terror.

Gov. Yates and staff arrived this evening on a special train, on their way to Shiloh.

The Gunboat Louisville has rejoined the fleet.

The rebels tried to shell our mortar fleet which lay behind Craigheld’s point, but it remained uninjured.

The gunboat Mound City will soon be ready for active service again.

A secret letter of Jeff. Davis has reached us.  He calls for deeds of patriotism and hopes to receive dispatches of success.

STREET.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 17, 1862, p. 3

Gun Boats Going Up Cumberland River

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 13.

The Democrat learns that Com. Foote, with the gun boats St. Louis, Louisville and Pittsburg, left Cairo for the Cumberland river at 10 o’clock on Tuesday night. The Carondelet was expected to join them at Paducah. In consequence of high water and unusually rapid current on all the rivers, the fleet is not expected to reach Fort Donelson till this morning, and as it was presumed the attack will not be made until there is complete readiness on the part of both land and naval forces, the news of the result cannot be expected before to-night or tomorrow morning.

The Republican of this morning states that Gen. Hitchcock has not yet accepted the appointment of Maj. Gen., but will respond when his commission is received.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, February 14, 1862, p. 1