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Fort Henry having fallen, Grant next turned his attention to Fort Donelson, the only work on the Cumberland river which covered Nashville. The fall of Fort Donelson would insure the fall of the Capital of Tennessee, and place almost the entire State in the hands of the enemy, now that the river | was open to their gunboats. The news was flashed to Richmond, and great was the alarm it produced among those conversant with the situation of affairs. Military men knew full well the only hope of salvation for the

Mississippi Valley was to defeat and drive back, without delay, the Federals under Grant and Buell, and reoccupy our lines as formerly established. Great apparent efforts were consequently made to reinforce Johnson, and a few regiments, or probably a brigade or two, were hurried up to his support. But these, added to his former command, did not give him strength sufficient to attack Buell, with even the slightest show of success, and compelled him to remain a passive spectator at Bowling Green, while the fate

this might have been done, but justice requires me to look at events just as they appeared at the time, and not alone by the light of subsequent information. All the facts in relation to the surrender will be transmitted to the Secretary of War as soon as they can be collected, in obedience to his order. It appears from the information received that General Buckner, being the junior officer, took the lead in

the best of my force. The Generals, Floyd, Pillow, and Buckner, were high in the opinion of officers and men for skill and courage, and among the best offlcers of my command. They were popular with the volunteers, and all had seen much service. No reinforcements were asked. I awaited the event opposite Nashville. The result of the conflict each day was favorable. At midnight on the 16th I received news of a glorious victory-at dawn a defeat. My col-advising the surrender, and that General Floyd acumn, during the day and night, was thrown over the river (a battery was established below the city to secure its passage.) Nashville was incapable of defense from its position, and from the forces advancing from Bowling Green and up the Cumberland. A rear guard was left under Gen. Floyd to secure the stores and provision, but did not completely effect the object. The people were terrifled, and some of the troops were disheartened. The discouragement was spreading, and I ordered the command to Murfreesboro, where I managed, by assembling Crittenden's division and the fugitives from Donelson, to collect an army able to offer battle. The weather was inclement, the floods excessive, and the bridges were washed away, but most of the stores and provisions were saved and conveyed to new depots. This having been accomplished, though with serious loss, in conformity with my original design, I marched southward, and crossed the Tennessee at this point, so as to co-operate or unite with Gen. Beauregard for the defense of the Valley of the Mississippi. The passage is almost completed, and the head of my army is already with General Bragg at Corinth. The movement was deemed too hazardous by the most experienced members of my staff, but the object warranted the risk. The difficulty of effecting a junction is not wholly overcome, but it approaches completion. Day after to-morrow, unless the enemy intercepts me, my force will be with Bragg at Corinth, and my army thousand strong. This must be destroyed before the enemy can attain his object.

I have given this sketch so that you may appreciate the embarrassment which surrounded me in my at tempts to avert or remedy the disasters of Fort Donelson. [The italics are our own.]

When the force was detached I was in hope that such disposition would have been made as would have enabled the forces to defend the Fort, or withdraw without sacrificing the army. On the 14th. I ordered Gen. Floyd, by telegraph, "if he lost the Fort, to get his troops to Nashville." It is possible

quiesced, and they all concurred in the belief that their force could not maintain its position-all concurred that it would require a great sacrifice of life to extricate the command. Subsequent events show that the investment was not so complete as their information from their scouts led them to believe. The conference resulted in the surrender. The command was irregularly transferred and devolved on the junior General, but not apparently to avoid any just responsibility, or for any want of personal or moral intrepidity. The blow was most disastrous, and almost without a remedy. I therefore, in my first report, remained silent. This silence you were kind enough to attribute to my generosity. I will not lay claim to this motive to excuse my course. I observ. ed silence as it seemed to be the best way to serve the cause and the country. The facts were not fully known-discontent prevailed, and criticism or condemnation were more likely to augment than to cure the evil. I refrained, well knowing that heavy censures would fall upon me, but convinced that it was better to endure them for the present, and defer to a more propitious time an investigation of the conduct of the Generals, for in the meantime their services were required and their influence useful. For these reasons Generals Floyd and Pillow were assigned to duty, for I still felt confidence in their gallantry, their energy, and their devotion to the Confederacy.

I have thus recurred to the motives by which I have been governed from a deep personal sense of the friendship and confidence you have always shown me, and from the conviction it has not been withdrawn from me in adversity.

I have troubled you with these details, as I cannot properly communicate them by telegraph.

The test of merit in my profession, with the peo-ple, is success. It is a hard rule, but I think it right. If I join this corps to Gen. Beauregard (I confess a hazardous experiment), then those who are now declaiming against me will be without an argument. Your friend,

A. S. JOHNSON.

of the campaign of the whole West was being decided.

But the river to the Ohio was open, and reinforcements in large numbers were con stantly arriving. It soon became evident that Grant's design was to continue a show of attack upon the works, while he marched a column entirely around the position. This would not only cut off the retreat of the Confederates, but by placing some batteries on the river above the Fort, interrupt their only source of supply. It was therefore determined, in council of war, to march out of the trenches the next morning at daylight, and attack the enemy in open field, as a last resort; and this course became the more urgent, as the severity of the cold was so great that many of the men were frozen in the trenches.

The fight was to be made at Fort Donelson, and consequently every soldier who could be spared was hurried forward to that point, leaving Johnson at Bowling Green with thirteen thousand men, all told, to prevent Buell, with forty thousand men, from marching into Nashville, destroying the communications of the Fort, and compelling it to surrender. Fifty thousand men suddenly concentrated from the east, the south, the sea coast, or Trans-Mississippi, would have given us a glorious victory —have saved the Mississippi, and possibly have secured our independence! Could they not have been spared for this great purpose? If so, whose fault was it that they were not? Sure- At daylight Gen. Pillow began the movely, not of the commander of that Department. The enemy were prepared to meet ment, for he had called in vain for aid for him, and for two hours the battle raged fumonths past, and had not failed to represent riously, the Yankees being steadily forced to the vital importance of the position, and the give ground. At this time Buckner joined imminent peril to which it was exposed. Pillow, but the enemy having been further reinforced, at once advanced to the attack, and as night closed down upon the contest they had regained possession of all the strong points on the field from which they had been dislodged during the morning. Numbers of our men had been killed, and a trial of strength, lasting a whole day, having resulted in their being driven back to the trenches, it became evident that we could no longer hold the position.

On the 9th of February, three days after the fall of Fort Henry, General Pillow was placed in command of Fort Donelson, which consisted of a strong water battery, mounting thirteen guns. Unfortunately, however, it was completely commanded by hills in its rear, which made it indefensible against a land attack, unless supported by a very large covering force.

A driving storm of sleet and snow had continued most of the day, and as night advanced it became intensely cold. The trenches were partially filled with water, and this, freezing on the clothes of our halfnaked and half-starved men, made their situation miserable in the extreme. A council was' called, at which it was proposed to march out and attack the right wing of the enemy, cutting their way through the Yan

Finding the position seriously menaced, Gen. Johnson ordered Floyd to move his brigade to Pillow's support. Floyd reached the Fort about daylight on the 13th of February, and soon after the Yankees opened fire. In a short time the action became general, and raged with great violence during the whole day, without, however, any advantage being gained by the enemy. That night the troops slept upon their arms, and at dawn the battle was renewed. Early in the day the Yankees were strongly reinforc-kee lines. Gen. Buckner opposed this, upon ed, both by troops and gunboats, and about 3 p.m. their fleet advanced to the attack. The fight lasted about four hours, during which three of their iron-clads were disabled, when the whole withdrew, and dropped down the river out of range. In the meantime every attack upon the trenches had been repulsed with heavy loss, and as the day closed our men were confident of victory.

the ground that it would be necessary to sacrifice three-fourths of the men to save the balance, and the plan was therefore rejected. The only alternative, then, was to surrender. Floyd and Pillow determined not to do this, but to attempt to cut their way out. They therefore turned over the command to Gen. Buckner, upon condition that they should be allowed to withdraw with their brigades. This being granted, at dead of night they

marched out, and at daylight found them:- Grant before Buell could join him, and then selves far beyond the enemy's lines, without to begin an active aggressive campaign a fight, and without being pursued. The re-against the latter before he could possibly be mainder of the garrison surrendered. Thus reinforced, driving him north of the Cumberended one of the most desperate fights of this war. Our loss out of three thousand men was estimated at fifteen hundred, while that of the enemy was supposed to be not less than five thousand.

The fall of Fort Donelson, and with it Nashville, took the whole country by surprise, because everybody had been taught to believe that we were well prepared to conduct the war in that quarter, and our strength had been vastly overrated.

land, and, perhaps, across the Ohio. It is true the Tennessee and Cumberland were still open to and occupied by their gunboats, and we had no present means of expelling them; but the summer months were ap proaching, when the water in these rivers is usually too low for the purposes of steamboat navigation, and then the gunboats would be compelled either to retire or else fall into the hands of the Confederates. Then it was hoped effectually to block up these great highways, and thus recover all our lost ground. IN FACT, AGAIN TO SHUT THE FRONT DOOR IN THE FACE OF THE FOE. He had effected, it is true, a partial entrance, but the great passage way was not yet in his possession, and his success, so far, would on

Gen. Johnson fell back to Murfreesboro, and succeeded in collecting together about seventeen thousand men. With these he determined, if possible, to form a junction with Beauregard, and taking up some position south of the Tennessee river, endeavor to hold the Mississippi, and at the same timely teach us experience in the future. cover the Virginia and Tennessee railroad. So soon, therefore, as the stragglers from the recent fight could be gathered up, he began his retrograde movement, crossing the Tennessee and occupying Corinth-the junction of the Ohio and Mobile railroad with the road from Memphis to Richmond.

By the first of April the junction with Beauregard was effected, and about the same time the command of Gen. Polk, who had been occupying Columbus was also added to the combined forces at Corinth. These, together with a fine body of troops from Mobile and Pensacola, and a number of regiments from Louisiana, made up the finest army we had yet assembled. The men were well armed and equipped, thoroughly disciplined, and never in better condition to meet the foe.

BATTLE OF SHILOH.

Grant had followed closely in the footsteps of our army, and early in April had secured a strong position at Pittsburg Landing. This place is on the Tennessee, and but a short distance from Corinth. In the meantime Buell was advancing, by rapid marches, from Nashville, and so soon as a junction could be effected with him, it was Grant's intention to attack the Confederate army in his front. This Beauregard determined to anticipate by a sudden attack on Grant. He hoped, by this move, to destroy

On the 3d of April the advance was begun, and it was expected the troops would be in position to attack by Saturday morning the 5th, at daylight; but the roads were heavy, and great difficulty was experienced in dragging the artillery over them. It was late on Saturday before they arrived, and then so worn down by fatigue that it was deemed best to postpone the attack until the following morning.

Had the battle begun on Saturday, there is little doubt it would have ended in a glorious victory to our arms, and in the entire destruction of the army under Grant. But the loss of a day enabled Buell to come up, and uniting his fresh troops with the demoralized rabble mass under Grant, check our success and avoid for themselves an utter overthrow.

A heavy rain-storm, against which the troops had plodded wearily along the day before, had passed away, leaving a cloudless sky and glorious sun to usher in the morning of the 6th of April, 1862. The enemy occupied a position near Shiloh Church, a small log building a mile or so in advance of Pittsburg, and thence stretched away towards the Landing. The country here is rolling, covered with large trees, without undergrowth, and presenting, at this season of the year, a carpet of deep green. At early dawn the disposition for battle was made,

of victory went up he fell, and breathed his last with the music of that shout still ringing in his ear. But though his mortal remains, which scarce could find a Christian burial place, may sleep in an unknown and forgotten grave, whenever the check-roll of honor is called by valiant men, Fame shall answer to his name-" Dead on the field of glory!"*

It was the intention of Beauregard to attack again in the morning. But during the night Buell came up, adding about thirty thousand fresh troops to an army which al

*NOTE.-The above was suggested by the follow

ing beautiful incident: Many years ago a small body

Hardee leading the van, followed by Polk | Stung to the quick by the unmerited censure and Bragg, each commanding separate col- heaped upon him for his retreat from Bowumns. Silently the lines swept through the ling Green, he had vowed to retrieve his open woodlands, with scarcely noise suffi- country's losses, or sleep among its dead. cient to scare the birds as they poured forth From early dawn he had been in the thicktheir morning carol. The enemy were ut-est of the fight, and as the first grand shout terly unsuspicious of the movement. Busily engaged with their usual morning duties, they were suddenly aroused from their fancied security by an onset as terrible as it was unexpected. Like an avalanche descending from some Alpine height, Hardee poured his men upon them, and in a moment the stillness of morning resounds to the crash of contending arms. Breaking in wild disorder they rush from their camp to the adjacent wood; but here they are rallied, formed in line, and stand prepared to meet the advancing foe. For a few moments the silence of midnight reigns upon the battle field, then the deep, loud musketry, and the louder thunder of artillery, waking the echo of troops were left to guard a very important post on of the hills, tells that the battle has been the frontier. Suddenly a large force of the enemy joined, and the work of death begun in appeared before the place, which was an old castle earnest. Hour after hour it surges like a in a narrow pass of the mountain, and demanded its whirlwind across that blood-stained field. surrender, whereupon all the garrison deserted save one brave grenadier, who stood at his post, refusing High in the heavens rides the noon-day sun, either to retreat or surrender. He had loaded a gun still onward rolls the tide of battle, and which commanded the approach, and continued to louder still rings forth each peal from those fire, keeping the Austrians at bay. In this way he death-dealing cannon. High above the bat- held the position for several days, until the approach of the enemy was known to his General, and a surtle rose vast clouds of sulphurous smoke, prise avoided. In the meantime the enemy had sursurging in anger like the waves of hell, and rounded the place, and cut off his retreat. To their drowning beneatu its roaring surf the shout second demand for surrender he replied that he would of the victor, the cry of the vanquished, the do so, "provided the garrison was permitted to shriek of the wounded, the groan of the dy- and the Austrian troops drawn up in line to receive This being granted, ing, and shutting out the smile of heaven them, a solitary soldier, with a few muskets on his itself. But at length victory perches on our shoulder, marched forth and presented himself to the "Where is the garrison?" demanded the banner. The foe, though they have fought column. with a determination not hitherto manifest- commander. "Colonel, the garrison is before you," replied the gallant solder. The Austrian was amazed upon any battle field of the war, are slow-ed, but upon investigation found the statement true, ly giving way-step by step they are driven back, until the river bank is reached, and there, cowering beneath the high bluffs, they vainly seek for shelter from the storm of shot and shell which is pouring on them. The day has ended in a rout, and Grant is on the very verge of surrender, when the order comes to stop the pursuit. The field has been won, but the fruit of victory is suffered to glide from hands which fail to grasp it.

But the noble, the gifted, the talented Albert Sidney Johnson has fallen, and the shout of victory is hushed in the wail which rings forth a solemn requiem for the dead.

march out with their arms."

and so delighted was he with this knightly performance of duty, that he sent him at once, with a letter detailing the facts, and accompanied by an escort of honor, to the headquarters of the French General.

The only reward the brave fellow would receive was the distinction of being called "The first Grenadier of Franc He was afterwards killed on the field of battle, ut his name still stands at the head of the Grenadier auster roll, and consequently when

ever the troops are mustered is the first name called, whereupon the oldest sergeant of the corps steps to the front, raises his cap, and amid profound silence answers, "Mort, sur le champ de bataille." Then the drums send forth a deep, long roll, the colors are drooped. and the troops present a silent salute to the

dead warrior, But though dead, still "The first Grenadier of France!"

ready outnumbered us, and at daylight the mained unimpaired. Our loss in men, too, enemy assumed the offensive. We had cap- was so inconsiderable as to be summed up tured vast quantities of supplies of various in "one casualty." Every attack during that kinds, together with artillery and ordnance time had been successfully repulsed, and the stores without limit. These, with the wound-whole country had begun to congratulate ed were being sent off to the rear as rapidly itself upon the fact that the gunboats were as our means of transportation would per- about to fail, and thus lose a prestige which mit, while our little army, in order of bat- had greatly militated against us during the tle again withstands the onset of the foe. whole war, when the startling news came Charge after charge of the now exultant that the Island had surrendered, and the Yankee is met and repulsed, and still our greater part of its defenders were prisoners troops stand their ground. But it is evi- in the hands of the enemy. And this inteldent that Grant is hourly reinforcing, and ligence first reached us through Northern that numbers will finally prevail, and there- | channels. On the night following the batfore, about noon, Gen. Beauregard gave the ile of Shiloh the position was abandoned, order to retire. and on the following day occupied by the enemy.

Slowly and in good order our lines fell back, and the best evidence of the terrible manner in which the enemy had suffered is the fact, that he could not follow, and for months after was unable to pursue the campaign. We had also lost heavily in killed and wounded, and among these some of the best men in our army. Among the killed was George M. Johnston, provisional Governor of Kentucky. He was a gallant soldier and true gentleman, and the South did not possess a more earnest supporter of her The night before the battle he entered the ranks, and fell like a true soldier, with a musket in his hand.

cause.

General Beauregard fell back to Corinth, where he had previously determined to make a stand, and again took up the position he had occupied before the battle. Here he was reinforced by the army of the TransMississippi, under Van Dorn and Price, and here he determined to make the grand fight for the possession of the Mississippi. But in this, the great object of the campaign, he was destined signally to fail, and from causes as little anticipated by the people of the South as they were just then by the commander of our army.

FALL OF ISLAND NO. 10.

Immediately after assuming command of the defenses of the Mississippi, Gen. Beauregard had turned his attention to this point, and all that the skill of the engineer could accomplish was done for its protection. The works had hardly been completed before the enemy attacked. On the 15th of March the bombardment began, and after lasting for more than a fortnight, our batteries still re

Gen. Beauregard, about the first of April, or a day or two thereafter, turned over the command of the Island, which he had held in person during the recent severe bombardment, to Gen. Makall, and had repaired to Corinth to join Gen. Johnson. On the very day that Makall assumed command the enemy succeeded in passing some steamers and barges through a canal which they had cut across the peninsula formed by New Madrid Bend. This canal was twelve miles long, cut most of the way through heavy timber, that had to be sawed off by hand four feet under water. But yet the indomitable Yankee had accomplished this stupendous work before his designs were even suspected, and the first intimation the commander had was the presence of the steamers below the fort! On the same night—April 5th—a gunboat engaged the Island while another slipped past unperceived in the fog, and joined the transport steamers below it. And then we are told the situation became so serious that the Island had to be abandoned. One gunboat—or, at most, two-then, captured the upper Mississippi!

Had the appropriation for the building of gunboats for the western rivers been properly applied, instead of being suffered to lie idle in the Treasury, this page of history never would have been written-the canal at New Madrid never could have been cut or used, and the gunboats which succeeded in slipping past the Island would have been captured or destroyed in less than twentyfour hours after performing that feat.

But a still greater calamity was destined