During the night, a negro had es fall asleep standing in line of battle, when actually under fire. The posi-caped from the Rebel lines, and given tion gained by Smith would enable him to take other of their intrenchments in reverse, or to advance under cover of a ridge directly upon their most important battery and fieldwork. Buckner declared that his post would certainly be attacked in the morning, and that he could not hold it half an hour; he thought they might yet fight their way out, with a loss of three-fourths of their number, but did not deem it right to sacrifice so large a proportion. These representations being undisputed, a surrender became inevitable. Yet Floyd, the sunset of whose career as Secretary of War had not appeared brilliant at the North, at once protested that he would never surrender. Buckner-who, for obvious reasons, was scarcely more popular with Kentucky Unionists than was Floyd with those of the Free States-presented no such obstacle. Floyd, therefore, turned the command over to Pillow, who passed it to Buckner, whose late superiors now devoted their attention to the means of Two Rebel steamescape. boats having arrived a little before daylight from above, Floyd filled them with his soldiers, especially those of his own brigade, and, a little before sunrise, cast off and steamed up the river, leaving the residue to their fate." Col. Forrest, with some 800 cavalry, escaped by the road up the immediate bank of the river, which was partly overflowed, and therefore deemed impracticable for infantry, but which Forrest's troopers appear to have traversed without difficulty or loss. our leaders their first clear informa tion of the straits of the enemy. Gen. Grant was therefore not surprised at receiving, about daylight, the following overture: "HEADQUARTERS FORT DONELSON, "Feb. 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 terms of capitulation of the forces at this appointment of commissioners to agree upon post under my command. In that view, I suggest an armistice until 12 o'clock to-day. "I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. B. BUCKNER, "Brig.-Gen. C. S. Army. "To Brig.-Gen. U. S. GRANT, commanding U. S. forces near Fort Donelson." The reply was hardly so diplomatic, but quite lucid-as follows: "HEADQUARTERS ON THE FIELD, "FORT DONELSON, Feb. 16, 1862. "To Gen. S. B. BUCKNER: "SIR: Yours of this date, proposing an armistice and the appointment of commissioners to settle on the terms of capitulation, is just received. mediate surrender, can be accepted. "No terms, except unconditional and im "I propose to move immediately on your works. "I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, "Brig.-General Commanding." Gen. Buckner's response closed the correspondence thus: "HEADQUARTERS DOVER (TENN.), "Feb. 16, 1862. "Brig.-Gen. U. S. GRANT, U. S. Army: "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, to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose. "I am, sir, your servant, "S. B. BUCKNER, "Brig.-General C. S. Army." away about 1,500; but this is probably an under-estimate. As all would naturally wish to go, it is probable that all went who could. GEN. MITCHEL AT BOWLING GREEN. 51 The Rebel loss by this conflict and | by current report, had never amounted capitulation must have been fully to 25,000 effectives, and had ere this 10,000 men, including 2,000 killed and wounded," to say nothing of arms and munitions. Our loss in killed and wounded was probably the larger." The blow so well struck at Donelson was swiftly followed by important successes throughout Kentucky and in Tennessee. Gen. Don Carlos Buell had, at the then recent partition of departments, been assigned" to that of the Ohio, including, besides three Free States, Tennessee, and all of Kentucky east of the Cumberland, with his headquarters at Louisville; where he still remained when his advance, consisting of some 16,000 men, led by Gen. O. M. Mitchel, moved," simultaneously with Gen. Grant's demonstration on Donelson, upon Bowling Green, the Rebel stronghold in Kentucky, where Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston had succeeded to the command, while Gen. Beauregard had been sent him from the east as a reenforcement. But Johnston's force, enormously and purposely magnified Gen. Pillow, in his supplemental report, says: "We sent up from Dover, 1,134 wounded. A Federal surgeon's certificate, which I have seen, says that there were about 400 Confederate prisoners wounded in hospital at Paducah, making 1,534 wounded. I was satisfied the killed would increase the number to 2,000." Pollard gives what he terms a correct list, by regiments, of the Confederate prisoners taken at Fort Donelson, footing up 5,079; but he evidently does not include in this total the wounded, of whom many must have been left on the field or in the hospital at the fort, as he says: "The village of Dover, which was within our lines, contained in every room in every house sick, wounded, or dead men. Bloody rags were everywhere, and a door could not be opened without hearing groans." And in his list of regi in good part been sent to the defense of Donelson, until it had been reduced to about 7,000 or 8,000 men. As Mitchel advanced across Green river from his camp at Bacon creek, Johnston commenced his retreat on Nashville; so that, when Mitchel had reached" the north bank of Barren river, and looked across into Bowling Green, sending over Col. Turchin's brigade during the night, at a ferry a mile and a half below, he found the railroad dépôt on fire, with 7 locomotives, and a large amount of corn and other provisions, with the bridges of course destroyed, and the last of the Rebel army, consisting of Texas Rangers, just moving off on a railroad train, which had been retained for the purpose. The river, being wide and at a high stage, could not here be crossed till next day; so that Mitchel's forced march of 42 miles in 37 hours, clearing his road of trees which had been felled across it, was rewarded by very moderate captures, including a brass 6-pounder, and some $5,000 worth of commissary stores; but it was ments we do not find the 20th Mississippi, whose commander, Maj. W. M. Brown, officially reports that he surrendered 454; nor the 32d Tennessee, Col. Cook, who reports that he surrendered 538. Gen. Grant's report makes his captures 12,000 to 15,000 prisoners, at least 40 pieces of artillery, and a large amount of stores, horses, mules, and other public property. 31 Gen. Grant, speaking of the battle of the 15th, says: "Our loss can not fall far short of 1,200 killed, wounded, and missing," including 250 taken prisoners. The reports of Col. Cruft, Gen. W. H. L. Wallace, and Col. Lauman, show an aggregate loss of 1,306 in their three brigades, clearly indicating that Gen. Grant underestimated his casualties. computed that the Rebels had been | his Legislature, with the State ar compelled to destroy not less than half a million dollars' worth of munitions, including many arms. Large quantities of provisions and other stores, industriously collected throughout the preceding Fall and Winter, had been removed to Nashville during the last three or four days. Nashville had been electrified, during the 15th (Saturday), with a telegraphic dispatch from Dover, announcing a Rebel victory; somewhat tempered by reports from Bowling Green that Johnston would be obliged to evacuate that post. Next morning, however, came news of the capture of Donelson, with most of its defenders; and along with it a first installment of Johnston's army retreating from dismantled Bowling Green. The general astonishment was only equaled by the general consternation. Churches were closed, or failed to open; there were hurried consultations and whispered adieus in every quarter, whence bank directors rushed to impel specie and other valuables toward the cars, soon to bear them to Chattanooga, to Columbia, and other points of comparative safety. Gov. Harris and 36 "An Impressed New-Yorker," in his narrative of personal adventures, entitled "Thirteen Months in the Rebel Army," says: "The army was not far from 60,000 strong, after Gen. George B. Crittenden's forces were added to it at Murfreesboro'. The season of the year was the worst possible in that latitude. Rain fell-sometimes sleet-four days out of the seven. The roads were bad enough at best; but, under such a tramping of horses and cutting of wheels as the march produced, soon became horrible. About 100 regiments were numbered in the army. The full complement of wagons to each regiment (24), would give above 2,000 wagons. Imagine such a train of heavily loaded wagons passing along a single mud road, accompanied by 55,000 infantry and chives and treasure, betook themselves swiftly to Memphis; while Confederate officers devoted their attention to moving as rapidly as possible, the vast stores of provisions and munitions here accumulated. Two fine gunboats, being built at the river-side, were prepared for instant conflagration; and the magnificent and costly railroad and wire suspension-bridges over the Cumberland were likewise made ready for speedy destruction-a fate which overtook them two or three days later. A fortification had in the mean timė been commenced on the Cumberland, four miles below the city, calculated to dispute and prevent the passage of our gunboats; but this was soon abandoned upon information that Gen. Johnston had decided not to fight for Nashville, but to continue his retreat; which he did, unassailed, to Corinth, Miss., south of the Tennessee river, and nearly 300 miles from Bowling Green. Six weeks were consumed in that retreat; which, with a green and undisciplined army, was probably quite as disastrous as a battle." Directly after the capture of Fort Henry, Commander Phelps, with the 5,000 horsemen, in the midst of rain and sleet, day after day, camping at night in wet fields, or dripping woods, without sufficient food adapted to their wants, and often without any tents; the men lying down in their wet clothes, and rising chilled through and through. And let this continue for six weeks of incessant retreat, and you get a feeble glimpse of what we endured. The army suffered great loss from sickness, and some from desertion; some regiments leaving Bowling Green with six or seven hundred men, and reaching Corinth with but half of this number. The towns through which we passed were left full of sick men; and many were sent off to hospitals at some distance from our route." Pollard makes Johnston's army at Murfreesboro' but 17,000. NASHVILLE RESTORED TO THE UNION. 53 wooden gunboats Conestoga, Tyler, the 24th, but found no enemy preand Lexington, steamed up the Ten-pared to resist them. In fact, the nessee to Florence, Ala., at the foot city had virtually surrendered alof the Muscle Shoals, where he cap- ready to the 4th Ohio cavalry, Col. tured two steamboats, and constrained John Kennett, being the advance the Rebels to burn six others; he hav- of Buell's army. Col. Kennett had ing burnt the railroad bridge near reached Edgefield Junction, 8 or 10 Benton on the way. The wholly un- miles from Nashville, and thence sent expected appearance of the National forward à detachment, under Maj. flag in North Alabama, where slaves H. C. Rodgers, who occupied withwere comparatively few, and at least out resistance the village of Edgefield, three-fourths of the people had stub- opposite Nashville, on the Cumberbornly opposed Secession, was a wel- land, and communicated with Mayor come spectacle to thousands, and was Cheatham, who surrendered the city greeted with enthusiastic demonstra- to Col. Kennett on his arrival, which tions of loyalty. was before that of Gen. Nelson's command. A small squad of the 4th Ohio crossed over into the city and returned, their orders not contemplating its occupation; but the battery of the regiment had been planted where it commanded the heart of the city, and a reasonable fear of shells impelled Mayor Cheatham to proffer and hasten a surrender, by which he agreed to protect and preserve the public property in Nashville until it could be regularly turned over to the use of the United States. Com. Foote, with the gunboats Conestoga and Cairo, moved up" the Cumberland from Donelson, three days after its surrender. At Clarksville, he found the railroad bridge destroyed; while the wealthier citizens had generally fled, and he encountered no resistance. As it would have been absurd to attack a city like Nashville with such a force, he now returned to Cairo for additional boats; while Gen. Smith, with the advance of our victorious army, marched up to Clarksville; whence Lieut. Bryant, of the Cairo, followed by 7 transports, conveying the brigade of Gen. Nelson, moved up the river to Nashville, where they arrived on 26 Feb. 19. "Gen. Johnston had moved the main body of his command to Murfreesboro'—a rear-guard being left in Nashville under Gen. Floyd, who had arrived from Donelson, to secure the stores and provisions. In the first wild excitement of the panic, the store-houses had been thrown open to the poor. They were besieged by a mob ravenous for spoils, and who had to be dispersed from the commissariat by jets of water from a steam fire-engine. Women and children, even, were seen scudding through the streets under loads of greasy pork, which they had taken as prizes from the store-houses. It is believed that hundreds of families, among the lower orders of he population, secured and secreted Govern But, in fact, the spoils of victory had already been clutched by the Nashville mob; so that, while the Rebel loss was enormous," the positive Union gain was inconsiderable. ment stores enough to open respectable groceries. It was with the greatest difficulty that Gen. Floyd could restore order and get his martial law into any thing like an effective system. Blacks and Whites had to be chased and captured and forced to help the movement of Government stores. One man, who, after a long chase, was captured, offered fight, and was in consequence shot and badly wounded. Not less than one million of dollars in stores was lost through the acts of the cowardly and ravenous mob of Nashville. Gen. Floyd and Col. Forrest exhibited extraordinary energy and efficiency in getting off Government stores. Col. Forrest remained in the city about 24 hours, with only 40 men, after the arrival of the enemy at Edgefield." Gen. Buell soon afterward reached Nashville, and established there his headquarters, while his army was quartered around the city. Col. Stanley Matthews, 51st Ohio, was appointed Provost-Marshal, and soon restored the city to order; discovering and reclaiming a considerable amount of Rebel stores which had been appropriated to private use. The bridges and roads northward were speedily repaired, and railroad connection with Louisville reopened. The wealthier classes had in great part left, or remained sullenly dis. loyal; but among the mechanics and laboring poor a good degree of Union feeling was soon developed. the Rebels had left some hours before, after burning 18,000 bushels of corn, 5,000 tons of hay, their cavalry stables, and much other property; while many of their heavy guns, which they were unable to take away, had been rolled off the bluff, here 150 feet high, into the river. The 2d Illinois cavalry, Col. Hogg, from Paducah, had entered and taken possession the evening before. A massive chain, intended to bar the descent of the Mississippi, had here been stretched across the great river, but to no purpose; the Missouri end being loose, and buried in the mud of the river-bed. Island No. 10 lies in a sharp bend in the Mississippi, 45 miles below By the Union successes recorded Columbus, and a few miles above in this chapter, the Rebel stronghold New Madrid on the Missouri bank. at Columbus, Ky., commanding the This island had been strongly fornavigation of the Mississippi, had tified, its works well supplied with been rendered untenable. It was powerful guns and ammunition, held by Maj.-Gen. Polk, Episcopal under the direction of Gen. BeauBishop of Louisiana, who had ex- regard, so that it was confidently pended a vast amount of labor in counted on to stop the progress of strengthening its defenses, while the the Union armies down the river. adjacent country had been nearly di- Gen. Pope with a land force of nearly vested of food and forage to replenish 40,000 men, had previously marched its stores. Its garrison had been re- down the Missouri shore of the river, ported at 20,000 men; but had been reaching and investing New Madrid, reduced by successive detachments to March 3. Finding it defended by 2,000 or 3,000. Com. Foote, on re- stout earthworks, mounting 20 heavy turning from Clarksville to Cairo, guns, with six strongly armed gunspeedily collected a flotilla of six boats anchored along the shore to aid gunboats, apparently for service at in holding it, he sent back to Cairo Nashville; but, when all was ready, for siege-guns; while he intrenched dropped down the Mississippi, fol- three regiments and a battery under lowed by three transports, conveying Col. Plummer, 11th Missouri, at some 2,000 or 3,000 soldiers, under Point Pleasant, ten miles below, so Gen. W. T. Sherman, while a sup- as to command the passage of the porting force moved overland from river directly in the rear of No. 10. Paducah." Arriving opposite Co- The Rebel gunboats attempted to lumbus, he learned that the last of dislodge Col. Plummer, but without 38 March 4. |