ing their Mississippi sharp shooters, as one of the Captains, now a prisoner, informed me, to the left to throw the 11th and 20th regiments into confusion. It was about seven o'clock when the firing began on the right, and in a few minutes it was running like a train of powder on a floor, along the entire line. The rebels advanced with determination not in a regular line, but in the guerilla mode — availing themselves of the trees and the undulations of the ground. Their design was to cut the division at the centre, turn the regiments on the right composing Oglesby's Brigade up against the creek and capture them. But their movements to that end were foiled. The regiments at the center being pressed, after standing a hot fire, begun gradually to fall back, which rendered it necessary for Oglesby to do the same as he separated, from the division, and the entire right wing of the division accordingly swung back, slowly at first. . . . And now occurred one of those wonders common in warfare. The enemy pressing hard upon our forces, Gen. McClernand sent Major Brayman for reinforcements. He rode rapidly to the rear and came upon Col. Cruft's brigade, who moved forward, crossed the road, and came up in rear of the 30th and 31st. These regiments were lying down and firing over the crest of a ridge. As Col. Cruft came in rear of them they rose to their feet, not knowing whether the force in their rear was friend or foe. The 25th Ky. supposing them to be rebels, poured in a volley, which did terrible execution. It is not possible to ascertain how many fell under the fire, but it was sufficient to throw the entire division into disorder, and at once there was almost a panic. . . . The enemy improved the opportunity, and advanced upon Dresser's and Schwartz's batteries, capturing five guns, taking possession of General McClernand's headquarters, and driving our forces nearly a mile. and a half. They had opened the gap; and not only that, but had in the joust driven us, captured five guns, and had reason to feel that the day was theirs. But now they committed a fatal mistake. Instead of adhering to the original plan, to escape, they resolved to follow up their advantage by pursuit, cut us up and capture the entire army. The fight had lasted nearly four hours, and McClernand's division was exhausted; besides they were out of ammunition. At this juncture General Wallace's division was thrown in front. They took up a position on a ridge, with Captain Taylor's battery in the center at the road, commanding it down the ridge to the bottom of a ravine. McClernand's division was making up its scattered ranks, ready to support Wallace. It was now just noon-nearly one o'clock. The rebels formed upon the ridge which General McClernand had occupied through the night. They were flushed with success and descended the ridge with the expectation of routing the Yankees. As they came in range, Taylor opened upon them with shell, grape and canister. They quailed before it, advanced at a slow pace, came to a halt, and as the infantry opened, began to fall back. Wallace improved the moment, moved on, drove them before him, regained the lost ground, recovered McClernand's tent and occupied the old ground. . . . The rebels might have escaped when Wallace was driving them back, but by some fatuity neglected the opportunity and were again boxed up. This made two distinct fights, but the day was not thus to close. There was to be a second display of coolness, daring and determined bravery of Union troops, fighting under the Stars and Stripes, resulting in a signal victory. The Iowa and Indiana boys composing Lauman's brigade of Smith's division, were ready to do their part in crushing out rebellion, and General Grant decided that they should have an opportunity to show their valor. Directly west of Fort Donelson, and beyond the breastworks there was a second ridge of land running parallel to that on which the breastworks were erected. The distance across from ridge to ridge, as near as I could judge by a somewhat minute survey, is about forty rods. On this outer ridge were ten rifle pits, made of logs, with a shallow ditch behind and the excavated earth thrown up in front. The western slope of the ridge was quite steep. The distance to the base was thirty rods as I judged, opening upon a meadow and cornfield. The slope had been forest, but the rebels had used their axes and cut down the trees, forming an abbatis not impassible because the forest was not dead, but a serious obstruction to the advance of an army. It was desirable that the rebels should be driven out of their pits, for they in part commanded Fort Donelson, lying about sixty rods farther east. . . . Col. Lauman gave the 2d Iowa the honor of leading the charge. They moved across the meadow through a little belt of woods, came to the base of the hill, and met the leaden rain. But they paused not a moment. Then they encountered the fallen trees, but instead of being disheartened, they seemed to feel new life and energy. Without firing a shot, without flinching a moment or faltering as their ranks were thinned, they rushed up the hill, regardless of the fire in front or on their flank, jumped upon the rifle pits and drove the rebels down the eastern slope. They escaped into their inner line of defenses. Col. Lauman did not deem it prudent to follow, but halted his men and poured a deadly fire upon the foe, in force, with four cannon behind the works. Then for ten minutes the fire was exceedingly severe. I visited the spot on Sunday afternoon and found the ground thick with bullets fired by the rebels. The trees were scarred but bore evidence on their limbs that the aim of the rebels had been much too high. Col. Lauman called his men back to their rifle pits, and there they lay down upon their arms, holding the position through the night, ready with the first flash of dawn to make a breach into the line beyond. . . Col. Lauman was apprised during the night that the rebels were about to surrender, by a negro who escaped to his lines. Soon after daylight an officer, Major Calsbry, appeared, bearing a white flag and a note from General Buckner to General Grant, proposing a cessation of hostilities and the appointment of commissioners. The victory was won, and Fort Donelson was ours, with its seventeen heavy size guns, its forty-eight field pieces, its fifteen thousand soldiers, its twenty thousand stand of arms, its tents and ammunition—all were unconditionally ours. Wild were the cheers, loud were the salutes from the fleet and from Taylor's batteries when the Stars and Stripes, the glorious old flag, was flung to the breeze upon the ramparts of Fort Donelson. - I cannot give you the sights or the incidents. You must imagine them. Neither have I time to tell of the appearance of the rebels in their snuffcolored, shabby clothes — their bedquilts, pieces of carpeting, coverlids, sacking but there they were, gloomy, downcast, humbled, apprehensive for the future; and yet I think that many of them were not sorry that there was to be no more fighting. I made myself at home among them, talked with them freely, heard their indignant utterances against Floyd, who had sneaked away with his Virginia regiments, the 36th, 50th and 51st, and a host of stragglers-officers many of them- who did not hesitate to desert their men in the hour of adversity. They went away at midnight after an angry altercation, as I was informed by a secession officer, between Pillow, Floyd and Buckner. I am also informed that about five thousand rebels escaped, the boats being loaded to the guards. Forest's Louisiana cavalry escaped on their horses along the creek. But the great bulk of the army is ours. Fifteen thousand prisoners! What shall we do with them? We have indeed drawn an elephant. . . . The following correspondence passed between Gen. Grant, commanding the Federal forces, and Gen. S. B. Buckner, commanding the Confederates: HEADQUARTERS FORT DONELSON, February 16, 1862. Sir: In consideration of all the circumstances governing the present situation of affairs at this station, I propose to the commanding officer of the Federal forces, the appointment of Commissioners to agree upon terms of capitulation of the forces and post under my command, and in that view suggest an armistice until 2 o'clock to-day. I am, sir, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, S. B. BUCKNER, Brig. Gen. C.S.A. To Brig. Gen. U. S. GRANT, Com'g U. S. forces near Fort Donelson. HEADQUARTERS ARMY IN THE FIELD, NEAR DONELSON, Feb. 16, 1862. To Gen. S. B. Buckner, Confederate Army .. No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works. I am, sir, very respectfully, Your obd't serv't, U. S. GRANT, Brig. Gen. Commanding. HEADQUARTERS, DOVER, Tenn., Feb. 16, 1862. To Brig. Gen. U. S. Grant, U. S. A. : SIR: The distribution of the forces under my command, incident to an unexpected change of commanders and the overwhelming force under your command, compel me, notwithstanding the brilliant success of the Confederate arms yesterday, to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose. I am, dear sir, Your very obedient servant, S. B. BUCKNER, Chicago Weekly Tribune, February 20, 1862. Brig. Gen. C. S. A. 108. "The Cumberland" (1862) BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW Longfellow lacked the aggressive temperament that made Whittier and Lowell prominent in reform causes, but he loved his country with a deep wholesomeness that often found voice in his poems. The event here described occurred in the first day's attack of the Confederate ironclad Merrimac upon the Union vessels in Hampton Roads. - For Longfellow, see Henry Matson, References for Literary Workers, 324326.- Bibliography: J. R. Soley, The Blockade and the Cruisers, ch. iii; J. F. Rhodes, History of the United States, III, 613, note; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 210. T anchor in Hampton Roads we lay, AT On board of the Cumberland, sloop-of-war; And at times from the fortress across the bay Or a bugle blast From the camp on the shore. Then far away to the south uprose A little feather of snow-white smoke, And we know that the iron ship of our foes To try the force Of our ribs of oak. Down upon us heavily runs, Silent and sullen, the floating fort; Then comes a puff of smoke from her guns, And leaps the terrible death, With fiery breath, From each open port. We are not idle, but send her straight From each iron scale Of the monster's hide. "Strike your flag!" the rebel cries, |