Fall of Fort Henry.--Of Fort Donelson.--Lugubrious Inauguration of the
President in the Permanent Government.--Loss of Roanoke Island.
FEBRUARY 1ST.--We had a startling rumor yesterday that New Orleans had
been taken by the enemy, without firing a gun. I hastened to the
Secretary and asked him if it could be true. He had not heard of it, and
turned pale. But a moment after, recollecting the day on which it was
said the city had fallen, he seized a New Orleans paper of a subsequent
date, and said the news could not be true, since the paper made no
mention of it.
FEBRUARY 2D.--The rumor of yesterday originated in the assertion of a
Yankee paper that New Orleans _would_ be taken without firing a gun.
Some of our people fear it may be so, since Mr. Benjamin's friend, Gen.
Lovell, who came from New York since the battle of Manassas, is charged
with the defense of the city. He delivered lectures, it is said, last
summer on the defenses of New York--_in that city_. Have we not Southern
men of sufficient genius to make generals of, for the defense of the
South, without sending to New York for military commanders?
FEBRUARY 3D.--We have intelligence of the sailing of an expedition from
Cairo for the reduction of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River.
FEBRUARY 4TH.--Burnside has entered the Sound at Hatteras with his fleet
of gun-boats and transports. The work will soon begin.
FEBRUARY 5TH.--I am sorry to hear that Gen. Wise is quite ill. But, on
his back, as on his feet, he will direct operations, and the enemy will
be punished whenever he comes in reach of him.
FEBRUARY 6TH.--The President is preparing his Inaugural Message for the
22d, when he is to begin his new administration of six years. He is to
read it from the Washington Monument in Capitol Square.
FEBRUARY 7TH.--We have vague rumors of fighting at Roanoke. Nothing
reliable.
FEBRUARY 8-20TH.--Such astounding events have occurred since the 8th
instant, such an excitement has prevailed, and so incessant have been my
duties, that I have not kept a regular journal. I give a running account
of them.
Roanoke has fallen before superior numbers, although we had 15,000 idle
troops at Norfolk within hearing of the battle. The government would not
interfere, and Gen. Huger refused to allow the use of a few thousand of
his troops.
But Gen. Wise is safe; Providence willed that he should escape the
"man-trap." When the enemy were about to open fire on his headquarters
at Nag's Head, knowing him to be prostrated with illness (for the island
had then been surrendered after a heroic defense), Lieutenants Bagly and
Wise bore the general away in a blanket to a distance of ten or fifteen
miles. The Yankees would have gladly exchanged all their prisoners for
Gen. Wise, who is ever a terror to the North.
Capt. O. Jennings Wise fell, while gallantly cheering his men, in the
heat of the battle. A thousand of the enemy fell before a few hundred of
our brave soldiers. We lost some 2500 men, for there was no alternative
but to surrender.
Capt. Wise told the Yankee officers, who persisted in forcing themselves
in his presence during his dying moments, that the South could never be
subjugated. They might exterminate us, but every man, woman, and child
would prefer death to abject subjugation. And he died with a sweet smile
on his lip, eliciting the profound respect of his most embittered
enemies.
The enemy paroled our men taken on the island; and we recovered the
remains of the heroic Capt. Wise. His funeral here was most impressive,
and saddened the countenances of thousands who witnessed the pageant.
None of the members of the government were present; but the ladies threw
flowers and evergreens upon his bier. He is dead--but history will do
him justice; and his example will inspire others with the spirit of true
heroism.
And President Tyler is no more on earth. He died after a very brief
illness. There was a grand funeral, Mr. Hunter and others delivering
orations. They came to me, supposing I had written one of the several
biographies of the deceased which have appeared during the last twenty
years. But I had written none--and none published were worthy of the
subject. I could only refer them to the bound volumes of the MADISONIAN
in the State library for his messages and other State papers. The
originals are among my papers in the hands of the enemy. His history is
yet to be written--and it will be read centuries hence.
Fort Henry has fallen. Would that were all! The catalogue of disasters I
feared and foretold, under the policy adopted by the War Department, may
be a long and a terrible one.
The mission of the spies to East Tennessee is now apparent. Three of the
enemy's gun-boats have ascended the Tennessee River to the very head of
navigation, while the women and children on its banks could do nothing
more than gaze in mute despair. No batteries, no men were there. The
absence of these is what the traitors, running from here to Washington,
have been reporting to the enemy. Their boats would no more have
ventured up that river without the previous exploration of spies, than
Mr. Lincoln would dare to penetrate a cavern without torch-bearers, in
which the rattle of venomous snakes could be heard. They have ascended
to Florence, and may get footing in Alabama and Mississippi!
And Fort Donelson has been attacked by an immensely superior force. We
have 15,000 men there to resist, perhaps, 75,000! Was ever such
management known before? Who is responsible for it? If Donelson falls,
what becomes of the ten or twelve thousand men at Bowling Green?
FEBRUARY 21ST.--All our garrison in Fort Henry, with Gen. Tilghman,
surrendered. I think we had only 1500 men there. Guns, ammunition, and
stores, all gone.
No news from Donelson--and that is _bad_ news. Benjamin says he has no
definite information. But prisoners taken say the enemy have been
reinforced, and are hurling 80,000 against our 15,000.
FEBRUARY 22D.--Such a day! The heavens weep incessantly. Capitol Square
is black with umbrellas; and a shelter has been erected for the
President to stand under.
I walked up to the monument and heard the Inaugural read by the
President. He read it well, and seemed self-poised in the midst of
disasters, which he acknowledged had befallen us. And he admitted that
there had been errors in our war policy. We had attempted operations on
too extensive a scale, thus diffusing our powers which should have been
concentrated. I like these candid confessions. They augur a different
policy hereafter, and we may hope for better results in the future. We
must all stand up for our country.
Mr. Hunter has resigned, and taken his place in the Senate.
FEBRUARY 23D.--At last we have the astounding tidings that Donelson has
fallen, and Buckner, and 9000 men, arms, stores, everything are in
possession of the enemy! Did the President know it yesterday? Or did the
Secretary keep it back till the new government (permanent) was launched
into existence? Wherefore? The Southern _people_ cannot be daunted by
calamity!
Last night it was still raining--and it rained all night. It was a
lugubrious reception at the President's mansion. But the President
himself was calm, and Mrs. Davis seemed in spirits. For a long time I
feared the bad weather would keep the people away; and the thought
struck me when I entered, that if there were a Lincoln spy present, we
should have more ridicule in the Yankee presses on the paucity of
numbers attending the reception. But the crowd came at last, and filled
the ample rooms. The permanent government had its birth in storm, but it
may yet flourish in sunshine. For my own part, however, I think a
provisional government of few men, should have been adopted "for the
war."
FEBRUARY 24TH.--Gen. Sydney Johnston has evacuated Bowling Green with
his _ten or twelve_ thousand men! Where is his mighty army now? It never
did exist!
FEBRUARY 25TH.--And Nashville must fall--although no one seems to
anticipate such calamity. We must run the career of disasters allotted
us, and await the turning of the tide.
FEBRUARY 26TH.--Congress, in secret session, has authorized the
declaration of martial law in this city, and at some few other places.
This might be well under other circumstances; but it will not be well if
the old general in command should be clothed with powers which he has no
qualifications to wield advantageously. The facile old man will do
_anything_ the Secretary advises.
Our army is to fall back from Manassas! The Rappahannock is not to be
our line of _defense_. Of course the enemy will soon strike at Richmond
from some direction. I have given great offense to some of our people by
saying the policy of permitting men to go North at will, will bring the
enemy to the gates of the city in ninety days. Several have told me that
the prediction has been marked in the Secretary's tablets, and that I am
marked for destruction if it be not verified. I reply that I would
rather be destroyed than that it should be fulfilled.
FEBRUARY 27TH.--Columbus is to be evacuated. Beauregard sees that it is
untenable with Forts Henry and Donelson in possession of the enemy. He
will not be caught in such a trap as that. But he is erecting a battery
at Island No. 10 that will give the Yankees trouble. I hope it may stay
the catalogue of disasters.
FEBRUARY 28TH.--These calamities may be a wholesome chastening for us.
We shall now go to work and raise troops enough to defend the country.
Congress will certainly pass the Conscription Act recommended by the
President.