General Grant to General Buckner.
Headquarters, army in the field, Fort Donelson, February 16, 1862.
General S. B. Buckner, Confederate Army:
sir: Yours of this date proposing armistice and appointment of commissioners to settle terms of capitulation, is just received.
No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.
I propose to move immediately upon your works.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant, General S. B. Buckner, Confederate Army:
U. S. Grant, Brigadier-General commanding.
General Buckner to General Grant.
sir: The distribution of the forces under my command, incident to an unexpected change of commanders, and the overwhelming force under your command, compel me, notwithstanding the brilliant success of the Confederate arms yesterday, to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose. I am, sir, your very obedient servant,S. B. Buckner, Brigadier-General commanding C. S. A.
Message from Mr. Jefferson Davis to his Congress.
Executive Department, March 11, 1862.
To the Speaker of the House of Representatives:
I transmit herewith copies of such official reports as have been received at the War Department of the defence and fall of Fort Donelson.
They will be found incomplete and unsatisfactory.
Instructions have been given to furnish further information upon the several points not made intelligible by the reports.
It is not stated that reenforcements were at any time asked for; nor is it demonstrated to have been impossible to have saved the army by evacuating the position; nor is it known by what To the Speaker of the House of Representatives:
