The Daily Dispatch: February 27, 1862., [Electronic resource]

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The battle at Fort Donelson.
Federal Accounts.

We make some further extracts from the Yankee newspapers in our possession, which it will be seen, readily admit the desperate fighting on the part of the Confederate troops, at Fort Donelson. The following is an extract from a letter dated Feb. 14, written by a person who witnessed the naval engagement:

The flagship St. Louis took the advance, and was hugging the western shore; then came our own (the Louisville,) then the Pittsburgh and Carbondale, in order, as near side by side as was possible, in a river scarcely wide enough for two boats to pass each other. In this order we formed a straight battery of twelve guns in front, while the two gunboats, Conestoga and Lexington, followed in our wake, pouring in their quota of missiles from their bow columbiads at a safe distance. We could see nearly every one of our shots take effect within or near the rebel batteries, the more deadly and certain as we slowly steamed up toward them. Thus we proceeded side by side, our fire never slackening or our determination faltering, until we arrived within three hundred yards of the lower battery. At this time the firing on both sides was truly terrific.

The enemy's shot and shells were screaming through the air or ravaging our sides and decks without cessation, while ours were divesting them of their more exposed batteries, ploughing up their hill sides and decimating their camps in terrible haste. I saw one large shell from the Louisville fall and explode directly under one of their guns, sending a score of rebel soldiers to their long homes, demolishing the battery and scattering those not killed or wounded in indecent haste to the nearest covers. When we had attained the last named position, viz: within three hundred yards of their works, we stopped our headway, and when the boats were motionless we poured in our last and most destructive fire. It really seemed at this time that the quintessence of destruction was contained in those twelve great iron thunderers. With each discharge a rebel gun was silenced, at each broadside a host of frightened rebels would scud up the hill to a place of safety behind the upper earthworks, and all but two of the lower guns had ceased to deal us their destruction. Now a new battery of one hundred and twenty pound guns opened upon us from the left and rear of the first works.

We were within point blank range, and the destruction to our fleet was really terrible. One huge solid shot struck our boat just at the angle of the upper deck and pilot house, perforated the iron plating, passed through the heavy timbers and buried itself in a pile of hammocks just in front and in a direct line with the boilers. Another (a shell) raked us from bow to stern, passed through the wheel-house, emerged, dropped, and exploded in the river just at our stern. Then a 10 inch solid shot entered our starboard how port, demolished a gun carriage, killed three men, and wounded four others, traversed the entire length of the boat, and sunk into the river in our wake. Then a shell came shrieking through the air, striking fair into our forward starboard port, killing another man and wounding two more, past aft, sundering our rudder chains, and rendering the boat unmanageable. Now we were compelled to drop astern, and leave the scene of action; but our gunners sent their respects to the rebels as long as their fire could be the least effective; and, so far as we were concerned, the battle was over.

This last battery was the one that put the finishing stroke to the fleet. One of the one my's shells entered and exploded directly in the pilot-house of the St. Louis, killing the pilot and wounding Flag Officer Foote severely in the leg. Two of the shots entered the Pittsburg below the guards, causing her to leak badly, and it is probable that she will sink before morning. Another entered the Carondelet, killing four men and injuring eight others. By this time three of the boats were disabled, and then the signal was given to back out and return to our anchored. The enemy's lower battery was silenced, however, and only the two one hundred and twenty-pounders on the hill were playing upon us, and it is universally conceded that if we had ten minutes more time Fort Donelson would have fared the fate of Fort Henry, and the Cumberland river been opened and divested of its rebel embargo.

Commodore Foote tells me that he has commanded at the taking of six forts, and has been in several naval engagements; but he never was under so severe a fire before. Fifty seven shots struck his vessel, his upper works were riddled, and his lower decks strewn with the dead and wounded.--We count no less than thirty-seven shots which struck our own vessel, the Louisville, while, in all, over one hundred shot and shell took effect upon the fleet.

My curiosity is satiated. I have no particular desire to be on board a man-of-war when another battery is to be attacked, but, on the contrary, think I should prefer a land view. The fact is, our boats are proof against ordinary shot, even as large as a sixty-four; but this trial has demonstrated the fact that rifled thirty-two pounders, even, will penetrate our iron sides, while one hundred and twenty-pounders merely laugh at the obstruction.

Another writer thus alludes to the fight of Friday:

The battle lasted one hour and seventeen minutes. The last shot was fired by the St. Louis. It fell within a few-feet of the river battery, causing earth and water to fly into the fort. At this, about a hundred of the rebels started as if to run up the hill; they soon found, however, that we had withdrawn, and returned to open an ineffectual fire upon our disabled fleet.

It took about half an hour for our fleet to retire beyond the range of the guns. The withdrawal was managed with great skill. We permitted our boats to float gently down the stream in the exact line of battle, and although the steaming apparatus of the St. Louis and the Louisville was powerless, no collision or accident of any kind happened, we dropped anchor in good order. It was found that the Pittsburg was leaking very rapidly, and she was ordered to tie up on the left bank of the river.

The St. Louis was struck sixty one times in the engagement; the Pittsburg forty-seven; the Carondelet fifty-four, and the Louisville about forty. The enemy fired about five hundred shots. Our fleet fired a little more than three hundred, about seventy-five of which were eight-inch shells.

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The land fight.

The Chicago Times has a special dispatch, giving an account of the operations of the land forces, a portion of which we copy.

At daylight on Saturday morning the enemy opened on the Eighteenth Illinois, Col. Lawler, when all of Oglesby's brigade was soon engaged. This was soon followed by Wallace's and McArthur's brigades taking part, the latter acting under McClernand's command.

As the position of the troops had been changed on Friday night, and Gen. Grant being sent for during the night from the gunboats, the movements of all troops except those attached to McClernand's division were conducted without anything but general orders.

At the suggestion of Gen. McClernand, Gen. Lew, Wallace sent up four regiments to sup

port his division, who were nearly out of ammunition. The regiments sent up were the 17th and 25th Kentucky and 31th Indiana, the 44th Indiana being field back as a reserve.

From the commencement of the battle in the morning until 1 o'clock the fighting was terrible.

The troops on the right were disposed as follows: First, McArthur's brigade, consisting of the 9th, 12th and 41st Illinois, having temporarily attached the 17th and 19th Illinois. Next came Oglesby's brigade, the 8th, 18th, 29th, 30th and 31th Illinois, and Schwartz's and Dresser's batteries. Next, Col. W. H. L. Wallace's brigade, the 11th, 12th, 45th and 48th Illinois, and Taylor's and McAllister's batteries.

These three brigades composed McClenand's division, and bore the brunt of the battle. The enemy concentrated his main force on our right, to turn it, which was done by our men getting out of ammunition, and the confusion created in getting up reinforcements. The division retreated about half a mile.

As soon as McClernand's division, who had stood their ground so manfully for three hours, retired to procure ammunition, the enemy occupied the field.

At this time General Grant ordered General Smith to move forward his division and storm the enemy's works on our left. This order was obeyed with great alacrity, and soon the cheers of our daring soldiery were heard, and the old flag displayed from within the enemy's entrenchments.

General Grant then sent word to Generals McClernand and Lewis Wallace that General Smith was within the enemy's entrenchments, and ordered their forces to move forward and renew the attack on the right.

One of Gen. L. Wallace's brigades, the 11th Indiana, 8th Missouri, and some Ohio regiments, were rapidly thrown in position, and Company A, Chicago L. got Artillery, Lieutenant Wood in command, planted in the road. As the rebels supposing we were on the retreat, came yelling out of their works into the road, the Chicago boys poured a hailstorm of grape and cannister into them, slaughtering dozens of them.

Simultaneously with this, the infantry commenced firing at will, and the rebels went pull their back into their works, our men advancing and taking possession of the ground lost, and a hill in advance besides.

The fresh troops, who had not been in action during the battle, were thrown forward. As the shades of night drew on they were in strong position, and ready to participate in the simultaneous attack to be made on Sunday morning.

The three brigades on the right — Oglesby's, Wallace's and McArthur's-- had the hardest fighting. They stood for three hours under a galling fire, and have suffered terribly, as their decimated ranks show. They would have held their position until ordered to storm the fort if their ammunition had held out. The ammunition wagons were at some distance off, the hills preventing their being moved rapidly. Some of our best officers and men have gone to their long homes. Our officers have suffered the heaviest loss. We lost three lieutenant- colonels, and at least one-quarter of all other officers are wounded or killed. The enemy, when we retired for want of ammunition, took possession of our temporary hospitals and Gen. McClernand's quarters, which were retaken in half an hour.

When John A. Logan's regiment run out of ammunition, he approached Lieutenant Colonel Ransam, of the Eleventh Illinois, and asked, ‘"What shall I do? I have not another cartridge. "’ Ransam replied, ‘"You have the best position. File out, and I will take your place."’ This was immediately done, and the Eleventh fired the balance of their shots.

During Saturday night contraction of all our lines was made for a simultaneous assault from every point, and orders were given by Gen. Grant to take the enemy at the point of the bayonet.

The next morning every man was at his post — the Fifty seventh, Col. Baldwin, on the extreme right. At daylight the advance was made, and when the full light of day broke forth, white flags were hung in many places on the enemy's works.

After the surrender, the whole Union force were soon in the enemy's works, and the rebel officers gave up their swords. The bulk of the rebels knew of the surrender long before our men were apprised of it.