THE SIEGE OF FORT DONELSON: Full Details from Our Special Correspondent; THE SURRENDER; Partial List of the Killed and Wounded (2/22/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 2/22/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

IN CAMP NEAR FORT DONELSON,

SATURDAY, Feb. 15, 1862. It was determined by Gen. GRANT to make the attack upon Fort Donelson from two directions -- by land from the direction of Fort Henry, and by water up the Cumberland, assisted by an adequate column of troops on the banks, Tuesday night, the Fifty-seventh Illinois, Col. BALDWIN, arrived at Fort Henry, on the steamer Minnehaha.

Gen. GRANT directed Col. BALDWIN to return immediately down the river, stop all transports with troops, proceed down the Tennessee and up the Cumberland, keeping in the rear of gunboats, which would be found ready to start at Paducah on his arrival. The order also added that he should reach the vicinity of Fort Donelson Wednesday afternoon, disembark his troops, and be ready, in conjunction with the column from Fort Henry and the gunboats, to make an attack upon Fort Donelson Thursday morning. The plan seemed easy of accomplishment, so far as keeping "on time" is concerned, but in this respect quite a failure ensued.

Cooks were immediately set at work to provide the three days' rations ordered, and this took until midnight to accomplish. The Minnehaha then started out and reached Paducah about daylight, stopping and burning back on the way some eight or ten transports, loaded with troops.

Upon reaching Paducah we found that only a portion of the gunboat fleet had arrived, and this necessitated another delay. Toward night, however, the stragglers came slowly creeping up the river, and soon after the whole fleet started, and by 10 o'clock we had reached Smithland, at the mouth of the Cumberland River. The scene here was magnificent beyond description -- the night was as warm as an evening in August in our more northern latitudes, a full moon looked down from an unclouded sky,

[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/4040181/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Fort Donelson Fortifications – 2
The Siege of Fort Donelson: Full Details from Our Special Correspondent – 3-6
The Capture of Clarksville: An Immense Amount of Army Supplies Found There – 6
The Execution of Gordon: Scenes Incident to His Last Moments – 6-7
The London Times Correspondent on the Possibility of an Advance – 8
News from Washington: Sympathy of Congress for the President and His Family – 8
Important from the South: Rumored Offer of Gen. Johnston to Surrender Nashville – 8
Editorial: A Double Festival-The Birthday of Washington and the Dayspring of the Nation’s Triumph – 8-9
Editorial: The Execution of Nathaniel Gordon – 9
The Last Words of Gordon – 9-10
A Cool Performance – 10
Silver on the City Railroads – 10
Editorial: Parliament upon Intervention – 10

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[babble-on]

I have read, but cannot find where I read it, that Buckner expected generous terms from Grant when the former surrendered at Ft. Donelson. Buckner had known Grant at West Point, and moreover had settled Grant’s enormous bar tab in New York out of generosity, and so thought that he would be treated well and his army allowed to retreat. He was disappointed in this hope, and that’s where the “Unconditional Surrender” Grant nickname was born.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Grant smoothed Buckner’s ruffled feathers after the surrender, and even offered to loan him some cash in case he needed it. That was to repay what Buckner had done for him at the time of his resignation from the army many years before.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4038469/posts#17

[Psalm 73]

Spent an afternoon at Fort Donelson when I was working at Ft Campbell KY - nicely preserved.

Right now I'm in the middle of reading U.S. Grant's memoirs - he was actually a darned good writer - too bad he didn't write more books.

[Theophilus]

Manuever warfare is the only way.

[babble-on]

Thank you.