The Telegraph for four days has brought as brief messages relating to a struggle at
Fort Donelson between the Confederate forces there and the Federalists endeavoting to make their way up the
Cumberland to get in the rear of our army at
Bowling Green and cut off its communications with
Nashville and the
South.
The enemy had the advantage of throwing large reinforcements to the point of combat by way of the
Cumberland river from
Smithland,
Paducah, and Calro, and therefore has steadily outnumbered our forces.
The struggle has been the most prolonged and hotly contested of the war. Our brave soldiers have fought with a constancy and courage never excelled.
Generals Floyd,
Pillow,
Buckner, and
Johnson, (not Sidney,) commanded.
The battle is understood to have raged with great severity on Friday and Saturday, and was continued yesterday.
Both sides were reinforced on Saturday and probably yesterday — with what final result we are not able now to say. Our forces both on Friday and Saturday gained important advantages, and the enemy, who had been frequently driven from his position, was on the latter day thought to be routed, and no doubt would have been irrecoverably defeated but for the facility with which he was reinforced.
Further intelligence from the glorious field is looked for with the most intense interest.--That brave Southern army which has held a ground so obstinately and which has worsted the enemy in such a prolonged struggle will not give way unless borne down by the weight of over whelming numbers.
Even then they cannot be stampeded.
They will, we are sure, only withdraw for a more effectial resistance elsewhere.
We refer to the telegraph head for all the meagre particulars we have received.
