THE FORT DONELSON BATTLE: Reports of Three Days’ Desperate Fighting; HEAVY LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES; Two of our Colonels Killed and Two Wounded (2/17/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 2/17/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

ST. LOUIS, Sunday, Feb. 16.

This city is wild with excitement and rejoicing. The news is just made public that the American flag waves over Fort Donelson.

The loss is heavy on both sides.

One of Gen. GRANT's batteries was taken by the rebels, but was recaptured by our troops.

The gunboats are said to be badly damaged.

Further particulars expected to-night.

ST. LOUIS, Sunday, Feb. 16.

The following is a special to the Missouri Democrat: CAIRO, Sunday, Feb. 16 -- P.M.

Commodore FOOTE reached here at 12 o'clock last night, on board the gunboat Conestoga. He stormed Fort Donelson Friday afternoon, with the gunboats St. Louis, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Carondelet, Tyler and Conestoga, and after fighting a little more than an hour, he withdrew. Fifty-four were killed and wounded on our gunboats. Pilots RILEY and HINTON, of the St. Louis, being among the latter. Com. FOOTE, while standing on the pilot-house of the St. Louis, his flag-ship, was slightly wounded. The St. Louis was hit eighty-one times. Two gunboats were disabled, the Tyler and the Conestoga, and remained out of range of the enemy's guns.

The line of battle was as follows: St. Louis on the right next the Louisville, then the Pittsburgh and the Carondelet on the left. The enemy's firing was very accurate. They had three batteries, one near the water, one fifty feet above this, and a third fifty feet above the second. The upper one mounted four 18-pounders. This one was held in reserve until our boats got within four hundred yards of the fort. Our fire was directed principally at the water battery. One of the enemy's guns burst, and a number were dismounted. The enemy could be seen carrying the dead out of the trenches.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4038756/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Map Showing the Strategic Points Captured in the Recent Victories in Kentucky and Tennessee – 1
The Fort Donelson Battle: Reports of Three Days’ Desperate Fighting – 2-3
The Western Manassas Evacuated: Flight of the Rebels from Bowling Green – 4
Postscript: Further Particulars of the Fort Donelson Fight – 4-5
News from Washington: Important Bulletins from the Secretary of War – 5
The End at Hand: The Confederate Rebellion Crushed – 5-6
Important from Fort Monroe: Further Rebel Accounts of the Burnside Expedition – 6
Editorial: The Victory on the Cumberland-The End in Sight – 6
The Flag Ascendant – 6
Infallibly Wrong – 6-7
Editorial: The Meaning of the Iron Gunboats – 7
Editorial: Another of the Herald’s Spies – 7
The Stringham-Butler Attack on Fort Hatteras-An Explanation – 7-8
Secretary Seward on Intervention in Mexico – 8
The Permanent Government at Richmond – 8
Editorial: British Stocks and American Stones – 8
General News – 8

[Tennessee Nana]

PING

[BroJoeK]

The Battle of Fort Donelson ended "yesterday", with the first of Grant's three "unconditional surrender" victories.
"Today" there was also a skirmish, the first in Arkansas, preliminary to a major battle:

Tennessee 1862 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
Feb 6	Fort Henry, TN	Union Army of TN + West Flotilla (Grant, Foote ~15,000) & Confederate Army of Cent KY (Tilghman ~3,200)	Union 40-total, Confederates 79-total (15 killed)	USA
Feb 14-16	Fort Donelson, TN	Union Army of the Tennessee + Mississippi River Squadron (Grant, Foote ~24,531) & Confederate Army of Central KY + garrison (Floyd, Pillow, Buchner ~16,171)	Union 2,691-total (507-killed), Confederates 13,846-total (327-killed)	USA

Arkansas 1862 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
Feb 17	Little Sugar Creek, AR	Union Army of the Southwest (Curtis ~2,000) & Confederate Army of AR (McCullough ~2,000)	Union 33-total (13-killed), Confederates 250-total (23-killed)	Inconclusive

These bring the war's total to 83 engagements with over 41,000 total casualties including over 3,600 killed in action.

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of February 17, 1862:
Engagements in Confederate states:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
South Carolina	1	1	1	3
Virginia	4	11	5	20
North Carolina	1	0	0	1
Florida	1	0	0	1
Louisiana	0	1	0	1
Tennessee	2	0	0	2
Arkansas	0	0	1	1
Total Engagements in CSA	10	13	7	30

Engagements in Union states/territories:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
Maryland	1	0	1	2
West Virginia	9	2	2	13
Missouri	11	9	1	21
New Mexico	0	5	0	5
Kentucky	4	3	2	9
Oklahoma	0	3	0	3
Total Engagements in Union	25	22	6	53
Total Engagements to date	35	35	13	83

Notice still 53 engagements in the Union versus only 30 in the Confederacy, with total wins at 35 each side.
Overall, Confederates have done slightly better in the Confederacy, Union forces slightly better in the Union.

[BroJoeK]

"The End at Hand: The Confederate Rebellion Crushed – 5-6"

Crushed? Hardly.

Our editors are underestimating the talents of Union leaders like Gen. McClellan for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.