Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 4.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Incidents of the Fort Donelson fight.

Immediately after the surrender, Capt. T. I Newsham (Gen. Smith's Assistant Adjutant-Gen.) rode up to the headquarters of Gen. Buckner, where he was introduced to the rebel renegade. Capt. Newsham was mounted on a splendid white charger. Buckner, noticing the horse, inquired if he was the individual who rode that horse during the battle the day previous. Capt. N. replied yes. “Then,” said Buckner, “you certainly bear a charmed life. You attracted my attention during the entire day. I ordered and saw our most experienced gunners fire at you six times from a six-pounder rifled gun, and noticed other gunners aiming at you also.” Capt. Newsham informed me that two rifled ten-pound solid shots passed close by his back, between it and his horse's rump. Several passed above his head, the wind of which was felt by him. Another passed so near to his face that he felt the gust of the concussion of the air. Several others passed between his body and his horse's head, and a charge of grape passed under his horse without injuring him. The skin of his horse, however, was barked in several places, but the animal was not disabled.

When Capt. N. was riding into the Fort he discovered a very remarkable-looking gun lying near the breastworks. Near by was a rebel who had it in charge. The Captain told the rebel he would take it in charge, when the rebel told him that it was the property of his captain, named Naughton. Capt. Newsham replied that it would be safer in his hands than in those of the rebels, and giving the rebel his name, and telling him he would be responsible for it, he rode on. The gun referred to is most remarkable; it is a Turkish arm, the stock of which is of a peculiar shape and very bulky. The bands of the piece are of pure silver, inlaid with figured gold and ivory. The barrel is of Damascus steel, three quarters of an inch bore, and rifled. The gun is said to have cost eleven hundred dollars. The owner of it, Capt. Naughton, upon learning who had possession of it, Capt. Newsham having been described to him, said that Capt. N. was welcome to keep it, adding, at the same time, that he had taken deliberate aim at him with it eleven times, and had seldom before been known to miss his mark.

Quite as much astonishment may be felt at the miraculous escape of Gen. Smith, as he never for a moment screened himself from the continuous fire of the rebel cannon and musketry. It is said of him, that he was never seen to dodge a shot during the entire fight, while all the officers around him kept ducking their heads whenever the enemy's cannon belched forth their fearful messengers, but rode majestically along his lines and among his men where ball and shot and shell fell like showers of hail around him, as though some revelation had given him assurance of safety. [83]

At one time while swinging his sword above his head, a ten-pound solid shot passed between his arm and head, another passed in such close proximity to his head as to raise his cap, and a spent grape-shot struck him in the stomach. There were fourteen mounted men, his staff, and orderlies attending upon General Smith, and, strange to relate, not one of them was hit, although men were struck down by shot and shell between their horses and on all sides of them. General Smith showed himself a true soldier in sharing the same hardships with his men, as on the night of the battle, and preceding the surrender he slept by the side of a log wrapped in his blankets without any tent to cover him from the inclemency of the weather, his feet toward his camp-fire, with the cold so intense that his blankets caught fire at his feet and burned into his boots before he felt the heat.

The following is a statement of a very remarkable and praiseworthy case of a young man attached to the Thirty-first regiment of Illinois volunteers, (Col. John A. Logan.) He received a musket-shot wound in the right thigh, the ball passing through the intervening flesh, and lodging in the left thigh. The boy repaired to the rear and applied to the doctor to dress his wound. He, however, manifested a peculiar reserve in the matter, requesting the doctor to keep his misfortune a secret from his comrades and officers. He then asked the surgeon if he would dress his wound at once, in order that he might be enabled to return to the fight. The surgeon told him that he was not in a condition to admit of his return, and that he had better go to the hospital; but the young brave insisted upon going back, offering as an argument in favor of it the fact that he had fired twenty-two rounds after receiving his wound, and he was confident he could fire as many more after his wound should be dressed. The surgeon found he could not prevent his returning to the field, so he attended to his wants, and the young soldier went off to rejoin his comrades in their struggle, and remained, dealing out his ammunition to good account until the day was over, as if nothing had happened to him. Several days after he returned to the doctor to have his wound redressed, and continued to pay him daily visits in his leisure hours, attending to duty in the mean time.

A case in some particulars not dissimilar to the above is related of a boy about eleven years old, whose father, a volunteer, had been taken prisoner by the rebels some time before. The boy smuggled himself on board one of the transports at Cincinnati, laden with troops for this point. On the field, the morning of the great fight, he joined the Seventy-eighth Ohio, and being questioned by one of the officers, he told him of his father having been taken prisoner, and, having no mother, he had no one to care for him, and he wanted to fight his father's captors. The officer tried to get him to turn back, but he was not to be denied. So he succeeded in obtaining a musket, and went into the thickest of the battle. He finally by degrees crept up within a short distance of the rebel intrenchments, and posted himself behind a tree, from which he kept firing as often as he could see a head to fire at. He was soon discovered by the enemy's sharpshooters, who endeavored to drive him away from his position, as he kept picking them off very frequently. One of the rebels who was outside of the work got sight on the boy with his rifle, but before he got his piece off, the little warrior fired, and down went Mr. rebel. As the rebel had a fine Minierifle, the boy ran out and picked it up, taking tine to get pouch and balls, together with his knapsack, while the bullets were flying on all sides of him, and then he retreated to his wooden breastwork, where he renewed his fire and with a little better success; and, after being in the fight all day, he returned to the Seventy-eighth at night with his prizes. This story might appear incredible for one so young to be the hero, but it is vouched for by a number of officers and men who saw the boy on the field and in the position mentioned, and many saw him shoot the rebel referred to, besides several others.

Another case very similar to the last is that of one of Birge's sharpshooters, who succeeded in getting within speaking distance of the fort, where he planted himself behind a stump, and by his unerring aim, succeeded in keeping one of their guns silent during the whole day. As fast as the men appeared to man it, they were let down by a shot from his rifle. Every effort was made to dislodge him from his death-dealing position, but without effect. He kept it until the rebels, finding it to be certain death to attempt to man the gun, completely abandoned it. This case has been presented to Gen. Grant, and will doubtless receive, as it should, special mention.

A surprising case of escape from instantaneous death is presented by one of the surgeons who was on the field during the day. A private in the Eighteenth Illinois regiment was struck in the thigh by a twelve-pound round-shell, which buried itself in the thigh, but did not explode. It was cut out on the field by Dr. Davis, Surgeon of the Eighteenth Illinois regiment. The limb was of course terribly shattered, rendering amputation necessary.

An instance of unprecedented endurance and patience occurred at the hospital on the right wing. The columns having been forced back, the hospital, which was a little up from the road, had come within range of the rebels' fire, and was fast becoming an unpleasant position, but no damage was done to it. Just about this time a poor fellow came sauntering leisurely along, with the lower part of his arm dangling from the part above the elbow, it having been struck with a grape-shot. Meeting the surgeon in the house, who was busily attending to other wounded, he inquired how long it would be before he could attend to him, and was told, in a few minutes. “All right,” said the wounded man, and then walked outside and watched the progress of the battle for a short time, and then returned and waited the surgeon's opportunity to attend to him. The arm was amputated without a murmur from the unfortunate man. After the stump was bound up, the young man put his good hand into his pocket and took out a piece of tobacco, from which he took a chew, then walking over to the fire, he leaned his well arm against the mantle-piece, and rested his head against his arm, and kept squirting tobacco-juice into the fire, whilst his eyes were cast into the flames, all with the most astonishing composure, as though he was indulging in some pleasant reverie. He remained in this position for some time, and then walked off and went out of sight near where the fighting was going on.

A young man came strolling down to the transport, with one arm amputated, and in the well hand he held three chickens which he had captured. A steward of one of the boats stepped up to him and asked him if he wanted to sell the chickens. He looked at the chickens for a little while and replied, “Well, no; I had so much trouble in catching the d — d things, I believe I'll eat 'em myself;” and off he went with his fowl prisoners.

Orderly-Sergeant Charles A. Bedard, company H, [84] of the immortal Eleventh Illinois, was killed in the morning fight of the fifteenth inst. He was a brother of Frank W. Bedard, of the St. Charles Hotel, at Cairo. His bravery and coolness on the field during a most terrific fire from the enemy are spoken of in the most praiseworthy terms by officers and men. His only attention during the severest of the fight appeared to be in keeping his men in line, and prevent disorder in the ranks, moving along in the face of the foe, watching with a jealous care his men in charge, as on he pushed, loading, firing, and re-loading his piece.--Louisville Journal.