ttle or no facilities for shielding them from the severity of the unpropitions weather.
Gen. Tilghman.
The Herald publishes biographical sketches of all the Union officers engaged in the Fort Henry affair.
It also gives the following history of Gen. Tilghman:
This rebel officer, now a prisoner of war in our hands, was in command of the rebel defences of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, on the line of Forts Donaldson and Henry, with his headquarters at Fort Donaldson, near Dover, on the Cumberland, in Stewart county, and near the dividing line between Kentucky and Tennessee.
General Tilghman is a native of Maryland, a graduate of the Military Academy at West Point, and was a member of the graduating class of 1836, which included also Joseph R. Anderson and Christopher Q. Tompkins, of Virginia; Montgomery C. Meigs, of Georgia; Peter V. Hagner, of the District of Columbia, O'Brien, of Pennsylvania; Allen, of Ohio, and others, all prominent in the existing war. Fou
e rebel cause, not only in Kentucky and Tennessee, but along the whole line of the Mississippi down to New Orleans.
This is why Beauregard has been transferred from Manassas to Columbus or Bowling Green; for the rebels have discovered that their immediate danger is more pressing on the line of the Mississippi than on the line of the Potomac.
We suppose that the next thing in order by our troops at Fort Henry will be the reduction of the supporting Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland river, at Dover, some ten miles across the hills at this point from the Tennessee; and, next, that those railroads will be occupied which connect the rebels on the Mississippi with the rebels in Virginia; and that then, as all that section of Kentucky lying between the Cumberland and the Mississippi is attached to the department of General Halleck, there will be, under his direction, a combined movement of all his disposable forces from Fort Henry, Mayfield, Paducah, Smithland, and Cairo, including Commodor
elligence.--Fort Donelson, in Tennessee, is said to have surrendered to the Federal forces, with 15,000 prisoners, including Gens. Johnston, Buckner and Pillow.
The captured fort was made of earth, and was constructed last summer; situated at Dover, on the west bank of the Cumberland, where that river washes an obtuse angle.
It is 12 miles southeast of the latter fort, and, it is stated, mounted about ten 24 and 32 pounders.
Some seven or eight post roads intersect at this point, and the as far up as Clarksville, and, in conjunction with Fort Henry and Tennessee bridge, as breaking off from the Confederates some 20 miles of railroad communication.
The next point of attack will probably be Clarksville, about thirty miles from Dover, and where the railroad crosses the Cumberland.
It is stated that extensive and formidable Confederate works have been in construction there for two or three months, and a large number of heavy guns have been sent thither for the protection of t
ng in that city.
Any failure to observe his order will be taken as a forfeiture of the parole or exchange.
The regulations here to fore existing which required passes across the military lines of the United States to be signed by the secretary of State, and countersigned by the General commanding, is rescinded by order of the President.
Edwin M. Stanton, Sec. of War.
The use of Fort Donelson--its importance — the rebel soldiers and commanders.
Fort Donelson is situated at Dover, Tenn on the west bank of the Cumberland river, a few miles south of the northern boundary of the State, and was built last summer, about the same time as Fort Henry.
It is located at a point where the river washes an ob use angle in its north ward course.
It is 12 miles southeast of Fort Henry, which was captured just nine days before the present victory.--The main object of the fort was to stand as a rear defence to Bowling Green, and also as a defence against our approach to Nashville
r the southeastern portion of the State, and flowing westward and southward past.
, and with Springs, the recent command defeat of Zollicoffer, enter, Tennessee between Jackson, and Overton, counties.
After making an extensive circuit through Middle, Tennessee, praying in its course Carthage and the city of Nashville, it turns towards the northwest, and again enters Kentucky about ten miles to the east of the Tennessee river.
Between Nashville and this point it passes Clarksville and Dover — the former — the point to which Commodore Foote has gone with his fleet and the latter the scene of the recent battle and capture of Fort Donelson.
Its course about entering the State of Kentucky, is nearly parallel with that of the Tennessee river until it enters the Ohio at Smithland.
The whole length of the river is estimated at about six hundred miles. During high water large steamboats ascend to Nashville, and small boats about three hundred miles further.
About fourteen miles from
success continued throughout the day uninterruptedly.
One of the enemy who was a prisoner said that the Federal force was 60,000, and had been reinforced 30,000, making fully 80,000.
On the strength of this report, Brig. Gen. Buckner raised a white flag and proposed terms of capitulation.
As the firing was resumed by the enemy, it was supposed that the terms were not accepted.
Our loss in killed was from 300 to 400, and our wounded from 1,200 to 1,500.
These were removed to Dover.
The Confederates were commanded by Brigadier Gens. Pillow, Floyd, Buckner, and Bushrod Johnson--all of whom behaved with the greatest gallantry and coolness.
The reported capture of 15,000 prisoners is believed to be greatly exaggerated, as stragglers in squads, companies, and battalions, escaped during Saturday night under the cover of darkness.
In this way nearly two-thirds of Floyd's brigade escaped.
Gen. Buckner is also reported to have escaped, but the safety of Generals
f the fight at Fort Donelson from an eye- witness and participant, which will doubtless be welcome to the readers of the Dispatch, as the first news from a Southern source.
Fort Donelson is on the Cumberland river, two miles from the town of Dover.
The surrounding country is a succession of hills, heavily timbered in places, but for the most part covered with small trees and brushwood.
This had been levelled to allow the play of artillery, but, as was subsequently found, seriously interfm foe, our men had a white band tied around the arm, and in the regiments there was carried by the side of the Confederate flag a banner of blue with a white globe in the centre.
As rapidly as possible the wounded were removed to the town of Dover, above alluded to, and from thence by steamers to Nashville.
The care bestowed upon them was excellent, there being an abundance of both physicians and refreshments.
The enemy are represented to have fought nobly, far better than the Norther
Fort Donelson.Northern Reminiscences.
incidents of the surrender — appearance of the battle field, &c.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial, writing from Dover, Tenn., February 18, gives a long account of the surrender of Fort Donelson, and indulges in a good deal of romance for the entertainment of his Yankee readers.
We copy a portion of his remarks:
I had proceeded up our lines about two miles, and within a line of the rebel works, when cheer after cheer made all the forest ring again.
In a few moments two horsemen came down the bill at a rate of speed not outdone upon the Long Island race course, with the intelligence that two white flags, the signal for an unconditional surrender, had just been raised upon the highest point of the rebel fortification, I hastened on to join the 58th, and found them just entering the first of the enemy's works.
Before reaching the point where the Parrot guns were placed on Saturday morning. I found an enfilading b
Battles at Fort Donelson.Gen. Pillow's reportbattle of trenches, February 11thbattle with gunboats, Feb. 13th.battle of Dover, February 15, 1862
[from the Memphis Apple, Feb. 26th] Mements Feb, 23, 1862 Editors Appeal:
There is so much anxiety felt by the country, so much misapprehension in the public mind, as to the results of the battles fought at Fort Donelson, and so much excitement among the friends and relatives of those surrendered, I deem it proper to lay before the publiery, were laid off by Majored, (Engineer of Gen. A S Johnston's on duty with me at the post) around the rear of the battery and on the heights from which artillery could reach our battery and inner work, enveloping the inner work and between of Dover, where our principal supplies of quarter and commissary stores were in deposit.
These works, pushed with the utmost possible energy, were not quite completed, nor my troops all in position, though nearly as when Brig. Gen. Floyd, my senior o
e of the guns and particularly attracted my attention by his energy and the judgment with which he handled his gun.--The wadding having given out, he pulled off his coat and rammed it down as wadding, and thus kept up the fire until the enemy were finally repulsed.
On the evening of this day we received information of the arrival of additional reinforcements of infantry, cavalry, and light artillery, by steamboat, all of which were a short distance below our position.
The battle of Dover.
In the 4th the enemy were throwing his forces of every extending his line of investment entired; around our positions and completely enveloping us. On the evening of this day we ascertained that the enemy had received additional reinforcements by steamboat.
We were now surrounded by an force said by prisoners amount to regiments every possible par were cut off with the our sources of supply by the river soon be cut off by the enemy's batteries placed upon the above us.
