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force, said by persons to amount to fiftytwo regiments, and every road and possible avenue of departure were cut off, with the certainty that our sources of supply by the river would soon be cut off by the enemy's batteries placed upon the river above us. At a meeting of the general officers, called by General Floyd, it was unanimously determined to give the enemy battle next day at daylight, so as to cut open a route of exit for our troops to the interior of the country, and thus to save our army."

How this movement was made, and how it was met we may learn from the brigade report of General W. H. L. Wallace, whose regiments were early brought into action to reinforce the troops of Colonel Oglesby, which bore the first brunt of the assault. "At daybreak," says he, "on the morning of the 15th, the enemy threw a heavy force of infantry and cavalry, supported by field artillery and his batteries within the work, out of his intrenchments, and commenced a vigorous assault upon the right of the whole line. The attack was commenced and continued with great spirit, and gradually drove back our extreme right. About seven o'clock A. M., the 11th and 20th Illinois, on my right, became engaged with a heavy force of the enemy's infantry. They charged up the hill and gained the road in front of my position, but the moment the rebel flag appeared above the hill, a storm of shot from the 11th and 20th drove them back in confusion. Again a new and fresh line of infantry appeared, and I ordered the whole line, except the 17th and the left wing of the 49th, to advance and occupy the hill. The 49th advanced boldly and in order to the brow of the hill, where they were exposed, uncovered, not only to the fire of the enemy's infantry, but to a raking of the enemy's batteries of artillery across the valley. They opened their fire, supported by Taylor's battery and two of McAllister's guns, (one having been disabled by a shot from

the enemy's cannon,) and for some time the conflict was strong and fierce. But at length the strong masses of the ene-. my's infantry gave way before the steady, well-directed, and continued fire of the right of my line. They fell back, however, only to give place to another line of fresh troops, who advanced to the support, and who were also compelled by the steady, unflinching valor of our men, to give way.

"In the meantime there were indications that the enemy were gaining some advantage on the right of the whole line. Reinforcements, consisting of Kentucky and Indiana troops, had been sent forward past my position to support the right, but notwithstanding this, it became evident to me from the sounds coming from the direction of the enemy's shot, which began to rake my line from the rear of my right, that the right of the line was giving way. My orders being peremptory to hold that position of the line occupied by my brigade, to the last extremity, I sent one of my aids to General McClernand with information of the state of affairs, and to express my fears that my right flank would be completely turned, unless reinforcements should be speedily sent to that quarter. Finding that no reinforcements were within reach, and General McClernand having left me to my discretion if I found my position untenable, and seeing that the enemy steadily advanced on my right flank, and was speedily gaining my rear, many of the corps having exhausted their ammunition, I gave orders to move the whole brigade to the rear up the road, with a view of forming a new line of battle. Before this order was given, all our troops on the right of my brigade had fallen back, except the 31st Illinois, Colonel John A. Logan, who occupied the left of Colonel Oglesby's brigade. mediately adjoining the 31st, and on the right of my line, was the 11th Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel T. E. G. Ransom commanding. When the order to retire was

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GENERAL LEWIS WALLACE'S DIVISION.

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Vista, was struck down by cannon-shot from the enemy's battery. LieutenantColonel Thomas H. Smith, 48th Illinois, had distinguished himself in the gallant attack on the 13th, he being in command of his regiment on that occasion, Colonel Hayne, as senior colonel, being in command of the whole force detached on that service. Early in the engagement of the 15th, Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, while leading his men up the hill to meet the enemy, received a mortal wound, of which he died in about one hour. Lieutenant-Colonel Ransom, commanding the 11th Illinois, was struck in the shoulder by a Minié ball. Merely calling Major Nevins to the command, until his wound could be temporarily dressed, he resumed the command, and remained with his regiment throughout the day. LieutenantColonel J. A. Maltby, of the 45th regiment, while encouraging and animating his men, was shot through the thigh, and severely, though I trust not fatally wounded."

given, it failed to reach Lieutenant-Colonel Ransom, who, with the 11th regiment, was gallantly supporting the 31st against a fierce onslaught on their right. Rapidly as the gaps were opened in the ranks of the enemy, they were as promptly closed to the right, and the shortway point alone showed the destructiveness of that fire. Soon the 31st, their ammunition having failed, retired, and the 11th took their place, changing front to the rear under a most galling fire with all the coolness and precision of veterans. In the meantime the order to retire was being executed in good order by the other regiments of the brigade. The character of the ground rendered it impossible for me to see the whole line at once. When the 11th changed their front, they were exposed to a fire in front and on both flanks, and the enemy's cavalry charging upon their flank, they were thrown into some confusion and retired, but steadily and in comparatively good order. After falling back some half a mile, I halted the brigade, and as rapidly General Lewis Wallace, who thus opas possible procured a supply of ammu-portunely came to the aid of the exnition, and formed a second line of bat- hausted troops on the extreme right, in tle. At this point Colonel Ross, of the the military dispositions of the day, held 19th Illinois, arrived on the field and the centre with his 3d division, which took command of the 17th and 49th reg- had been brought up with the fleet. iments, and we were reinforced by some was composed of two brigades. The 1st troops of General Lewis Wallace's divis- commanded by Colonel Charles Cruft, ion, and with their aid, and with the as- consisted of the 31st Indiana, Lieutensistance of Taylor's battery and some ant-Colonel Osborn commanding; 17th pieces of Dresser's and Willard's bat- Kentucky, Colonel John H. McHenry; teries, the advance of the enemy was 44th Indiana, Colonel Hugh B. Reed, checked, and he was driven within his and the 25th Kentucky, Colonel James intrenchments, leaving a large number M. Shackelford. The 1st Nebraska, Lieuof his dead and wounded on the field." tenant-Colonel McCord; the 76th Ohio, Colonel Woods; the 58th Ohio, Colonel Steadman, constituted the Ohio brigade, commanded by Colonel John M. Thayer. Three additional regiments, Colonel Davis's 46th, Colonel Baldwin's 47th, and Colonel Lynch's 58th Illinois, intended for a a third brigade, came up on Saturday during the action, and were attached to Colonel Thayer's command. The division, early aroused by the firing on the

The casualties in the six regiments and the two batteries of General Wallace's command were 123 killed, 461 wounded, and 103 missing. In his record of the heroism of the day, General Wallace thus mentions the losses of officers: "Lieutenant-Colonel William Erwin, of the 20th regiment, while nobly animating his men, and adding new laurels to those he so nobly won at Buena

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right, was formed in line when General for more ammunition, want of which was McClernand, about eight o'clock, called the cause of their misfortune. Colonel for its assistance. The message was sent Wallace, whose coolness under the cir-. to headquarters; but as General Grant cumstances was astonishing, informed was at that time on board one of the me that the enemy were following, and gunboats, arranging, as was understood, would shortly attack. The crisis was an attack from the river side; and as the come; there was no time to await ordemand was followed up by a second ders; my 3d brigade had to be thrust call, General Wallace promptly ordered between our retiring forces and the adColonel Cruft to move his brigade to the vancing foe. Accordingly I conducted right and report to General McClernand. Colonel Thayer's command up the road The fortunes of the brigade, and the fur- where the ridge dips towards the rether important movements of the divis- bel works; directed the Colonel to form ion are thus narrated in the official re- a new line of battle at a right angle port of General Wallace: "Imperfect- with the old one; sent for company A, ly directed by a guide, the Colonel's com- Chicago light artillery, and despatched mand was carried to the extreme right a messenger to inform General Smith of the engaged lines, where it was at- of the state of affairs, and ask him for tacked by a largely superior force, and, assistance. The head of Colonel Thayer's after the retreat or retirement of the di- column filed right, double-quick. Lieuvision he was sent to support, for a time tenant Wood, commanding the artillery bore the brunt of the battle. After a company sent for, galloped up with a varied struggle, charging and receiving portion of his battery, and posted his charges, the enemy quit him, when he picces so as to sweep approach by the fell back in position nearer to support, road in front; a line of reserve was also his ranks in good order and unbroken, formed at convenient distance in the rear except where soldiers of other regiments of the first line, consisting of the 76th plunged through them in hurried retreat. Ohio, and 46th and 57th Illinois. The In this way, a portion of Colonel Shack-new front thus formed covered the reelford's regiment, (25th Kentucky,) and about twenty of the 31st Indiana, with their commanding officers, became separated from their colors.

tiring regiments, helpless from lack of ammunition, but which coolly halted not far off, some of them actually within reach of the enemy's musketry, to refill their cartridge-boxes. And, as formed, my new front consisted of Wood's bat

"Soon fugitives from the battle came crowding up the hill, in rear of my own line, bringing unmistakable signs of dis-tery across the road; on the right of the aster. Captain Rawlins was conversing battery, the 1st Nebraska and 58th Illiwith me at the time, when a mounted nois; left of the battery, a detached comofficer galloped down the road, shouting: pany of the 32d Illinois, Captain Davison, We are cut to pieces!' The effect was and the 58th Ohio, its left obliquely revery perceptible. To prevent a panic tired. Scarcely had this formation been among the regiments of my 3d brigade, made when the enemy attacked, coming I ordered Colonel Thayer to move on by up the road, and through the shrubs and the right flank. He promptly obeyed. trees on both sides of it, and making the Going in advance of the movements my-battery and the 1st Nebraska the princiself, I met portions of regiments of General McClernand's division coming back in excellent order, conducted by their brigade commanders, Colonels Wallace, Oglesby, and McArther, and all calling

pal points of attack. They met this storm, no man flinching, and their fire was terrible. To say they did well, is not enough-their conduct was splendid. They alone repelled the charge. Colonel

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CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON.

From the original painting by Chappel in the presession of the publisha

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THE NEW YORK FUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.

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