[
230]
- Advance of National troops on Bowling Green, 230.
-- panic in Nashville
-- Governor Harris crazy with affright, 231.
-- destruction of the Tennessee iron works
-- Clarksville, 232.
-- flight of Confederate troops from Nashville
-- Floyd and Pillow again on the wings of fear, 233.
-- surrender of Nashville, 234.
-- expedition against Columbus
-- Polk's preparations to fly from it, 235.
-- capture of Columbus, 236.
-- mines and torpedoes at Columbus
-- Island number10, 237.
-- Beauregard in command of Island number10
-- his call for bells to cast into cannon, 238.
-- Pope's March on New Madrid
-- Confederates strengthening that post, 239.
-- transportation of siege guns
-- capture of New Madrid, 240.
-- strength of Island number10
-- Foote prepared for action, 241.
-- attack on Confederate batteries
-- the mortar service, 242.
-- Pope at New Madrid
-- General Hamilton's plan for flanking Island number10 by the gun
-- boats, 243.
-- construction of a flanking Canal, 244.
-- passing of Island number10 by gun
-- boats
-- success of the Canal project, 245.
-- Island number10 abandoned
-- obstructions in the River, 246.
-- capture of the Confederate Army, 247.
-- effect of the victory, 248.
-- the Confederates alarmed
-- Memphis and New Orleans in terror, 249.
-- National troops in Arkansas
-- Curtis in pursuit of Price, 250.
-- gathering of Confederate forces
-- Curtis's address to the inhabitants of Arkansas
-- General Van Dorn, 251.
-- his presence in the Confederate camp
-- his address to his soldiers, 252.
-- relative position of the National troops
-- Van Dorn's flanking movement, 253.
-- he marches to attack
-- Curtis prepared to receive him, 254.
-- opening of the battle of Pea. Ridge
-- Indian savages led by Albert Pike
-- a severe struggle, 255.
-- a General battle
-- Carr's struggle on the right, 256.
-- night ends the battle
-- preparations by the Nationals for renewing it, 257.
-- battle renewed in the morning
-- the Nationals victorious, 258.
-- result of the battle
-- atrocities of Pike's Indians, 259.
-- Curtis marches toward the Mississippi
-- the Indians, 260.
When
Fort Donelson fell,
Kentucky and
Missouri, and all of
northern and
middle Tennessee were lost to the
Confederates, and the more Southern States, whose inhabitants expected to have the battles for their defense fought in the border Slave-labor States, were exposed to the inroads of the
National armies.
The terror inspired all along the
Confederate line by the fall of
Fort Henry, and the forward movement of
General Mitchel, of
Buell's army, from his camp at
Bacon's Creek, across the
Green River at Mumfordsville, toward
Bowling Green, simultaneously with
Grant's investment of
Fort Donelson,
caused that line, which seemed so strong almost to invincibility a few weeks before, to crumble into fragments and suddenly disappear as a mist.
General Johnston clearly perceived that both
Bowling Green and
Columbus were now untenable, and that the salvation of his troops at each required the immediate evacuation of these posts.
He issued orders accordingly, and when
Mitchel, having marched forty-two miles in thirty-two hours, reached the northern bank of the
Barren River, on whose southern border
Bowling Green1 stood, the main body of
Johnston's troops, seven or eight thousand strong, had left it and fled south-ward.
Mitchel found the bridges on that stream all destroyed; and when, on the same night,
Colonel Turchin crossed it below the village, with his brigade, the heavens were
illuminated by the flames of the burning railway station-house, and Confederate stores in the
[
231]
center of the town.
These had been fired by Texas Rangers, left behind for the purpose, and who were then just moving off on a railway train.
Mitchel's troops were exhausted by their forced march in the keen frosty air, and the labor of removing trees from the roads which the
Confederates had cut down; and the water in the stream being too high to ford, his army did not cross until the next day, when they found
Bowling Green to be almost barren of spoils.
Half a million dollars' worth of property had been destroyed, and only a brass 6-pounder, and commissary stores valued at five thousand dollars, remained.
The Confederates had also removed, during the preceding four days, a large quantity of provisions and stores to
Nashville.
Imminent danger now impended over
Nashville.
Johnston, as we have seen, had declared that he fought for that city at
Fort Donelson.
When the latter fell,
Nashville was doomed, and its disloyal inhabitants were pale with terror.
On the day of the surrender, the intelligence of the sad event reached the city just as the people were comfortably seated in the churches, for it was the
Christian Sabbath.
Pillow's foolish boast
2 and dispatch founded upon it
3 had allayed all fears; now these were awakened with ten-fold intensity.
The churches were instantly emptied, and each citizen seemed to have no other thought but for personal safety.
4 That the town would be speedily occupied by the
Government troops, no one doubted.
Grant's vigor had been tested.
It had been observed that he did not stop when a victory, was gained, but pushed forward to reap in full all of its advantages.
So they gave up all as lost.
The public stores were thrown wide open, and everybody was allowed to carry off provisions and clothing without hindrance.
The panic among the Secessionists was fearful.
Governor Harris, the worst criminal of them all, was crazy with alarm.
He rode through the streets with his horse at full speed, crying out that the papers in the capital must be removed.
5 He well knew what evidence of his treason was among them.
He and his guilty legislature gathered as many of the archives as possible, and fled by railway to
Memphis,
6 while the officers of banks, bearing
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