rebel gunboats retired steadily a considerable distance up the sound. A
line of piles driven into the bed across the principal channel,
obstructed the progress of the Union vessels in the pursuit of the
retreating rebels, who occupied an inner channel under the guns of their
battery. The Union fleet now turned their attention to the fort, which
kept up a steady and rapid fire.
On the afternoon of the 7th, the transports, with the land forces, were
all brought safely through Roanoke Inlet, and clustered securely in rear
of the bombarding fleet. General Burnside gave immediate orders for
landing the forces, which was done at a small cove, known as Ashby’s
Harbor. In less than an hour four thousand men were landed, and by
eleven at night, the entire force, excepting one regiment, were on the
island, and their bivouac-fires lighted up the shore and the woods for
the distance of a mile.
At nine o’clock on the morning of the 8th, a few shots were exchanged
between the Federal gunboats and the battery, which ceased after fifteen
minutes’ duration, and was not renewed during the day. The rebel
gunboats had retreated, and all interest now centered in the movements
of the land forces.
From definite information received by General Burnside, the position of
all the works on the island was clearly known, and his movements were
based on this knowledge. The plan of attack consisted of a central
attacking column, led by Brigadier-General Foster; a left flanking
column to attack the right of the enemy’s work, under Brigadier-General
Reno, and a right flank column to attack the left of the enemy’s
position, under the command of Brigadier-General Parke.
The approach to the enemy’s position was through a swampy wood, with a
dense undergrowth, rendering it almost impenetrable. An ordinary
cart-road leading through this wood from the shore to the fieldwork, a
distance of about a mile, was the only mode of communication. The woods
in front of the battery had been cut down a distance of three hundred
yards, forming an open space to be played on by the rebel guns, about
two hundred feet wide. The woods immediately in rear of the work were
also cut down to permit the manœuvreing of their own forces.
Their battery consisted of an earthwork with three faces covering the
open space before, and the woods at each side of the open space, but
with a general direction of fire to the front. The guns were mounted in
embrasure, and consisted of a twenty-four-pounder brass Dahlgren
howitzer, a long eighteen-pounder brass field-gun, and a twelve-pounder
brass field piece. In front of the work was a ditch eight feet wide and
about three feet deep, filled with water. The earthwork was about
thirty-five yards wide, and was erected across the road. The ground in
front of the work was a deep marsh, on which the trees which were felled
still lay. The difficult nature of this ground was increased by the pits
from which the turf and earth for the fieldwork had been taken. Branches
were strewn over the front of the work, making it impossible to discover
it from the wood in front.
The defending force consisted of about three hundred men, within the
breastwork, and about two thousand as a reserve, partly deployed as
skirmishers on the left of the battery. The rebels relied chiefly for
the defence of their flanks on the almost impenetrable nature of the
wood on each side. Their entire force, with the exception of the force
working the battery, was scattered in front and in the woods on the left
as skirmishers.
The Federal army advanced from the bivouac-ground of the evening
previous, where they had spent the night with nothing but thin overcoats
to protect them from a cold, driving rain. They had left their knapsacks
and blankets on the transports, each man carrying nothing but his
haversack, with three days’ provisions, and his cartridge-box, with
forty rounds of ball-cartridge. The centre, under the command of General
Foster, was composed of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, Colonel Upton;
Twenty-third Massachusetts, Colonel Kurtz; Twenty-seventh Massachusetts,
Colonel Lee, and the Tenth Connecticut, Colonel Russell, and moved
forward about eight o’clock. They were followed by the second column,
under General Reno, consisting of the Twenty-first Massachusetts,
Lieutenant-Colonel Maggi; the Fifty-first New York, (Shepard Rifles,)
Colonel Ferrero; Ninth New Jersey, and the Fifty-first Pennsylvania,
Colonel Hartraaf. The third column, led by General Parke, was formed of
the Fourth Rhode Island, Colonel Rodman; First battalion, Fifth Rhode
Island, Major Wright; and Ninth New York, Colonel Hawkins.
A brilliant, well contested fight of two hours’ duration put the Federal
forces in possession of Roanoke Island, with all the batteries, mounting
thirty guns, and Fort Forrest, on the mainland, mounting eight guns. It
resulted in the unconditional surrender of the rebel army on the island,
numbering 2,500 men, with all their arms and munitions of war. Captain
O. Jennings Wise, son of ex-Governor Wise of Virginia, lost his life in
this engagement. The Governor himself, being absent from his command on
the day of battle, escaped.
Colonel Russell, of the Tenth Connecticut, and Lieutenant-Colonel De
Monteuil, of the New York Fifty-third, were killed.
The Federal loss was fifty killed and one hundred and fifty wounded.
That of the rebels was about twenty killed, and sixty wounded.
EVACUATION OF BOWLING GREEN, KY.
FEBRUARY 14–16, 1862.
Before the commencement of hostilities in the State of Kentucky, the
rebel General Buckner, Commander-in-Chief of the State militia, seized
upon the town of Bowling Green, in Warren county, in the southern
section of the State, and occupied it as the grand centre and depot of
future military operations. The position was well chosen. It was
situated on the line of the Louisville and Nashville railway, and
connected also by rail with Memphis and Nashville; while water
communication through the Barren river was open to the Green river, the
Ohio, and Mississippi, and thus to all important points.
As a military post, its means of defence were also of the first
importance. The town lies on the south bank of Barren river, at a point
where the channel makes a bend not unlike a horse-shoe. The buildings
are situated a distance of five hundred yards from the banks, which rise
by jutted rocky sides fifty feet from the water level. A series of nine
swelling hills, or knolls, completely encompass the town on the land
side, and on these Buckner had erected a cordon of forts; some of stone,
and others of earth, twenty feet in thickness—all of great magnitude.
Forty-nine guns were mounted on the various fortifications, and great
engineering skill had been displayed in their construction.
On learning the defeat of Zollicoffer’s troops at Mill Spring, on the
19th of January, General A. S. Johnson, on the 25th, ordered the
evacuation of Bowling Green, and General Floyd’s brigade immediately
marched from thence to Fort Donelson. Active measures were then taken to
carry out the order further, by shipping heavy ordnance to Columbus,
which place General Grant’s reconnoissance at that time had induced the
Confederates to believe would be the first point of attack from the
Federal army.
After the capture of Fort Henry, on the 6th of February, by which the
enemy’s communication with Columbus was intercepted, the remaining
troops were distributed, some to Fort Donelson, some to Nashville and
other points; and a work of indiscriminate destruction of the buildings
and property in the town commenced. The beautiful iron railway bridge,
and the wooden turnpike bridge over the Barren river were first
destroyed. The railway bridge over the Green river, some forty miles to
the north-east, had long since been burned, and the forces of General
Buell had been deterred from crossing that stream up to the present
time.
On the 11th of February, however, General Mitchell’s division, encamped
on Bacon creek, seven miles north of the Green river, were ordered to
advance on Bowling Green, and on that day marched to Camp Madison, one
mile north of the river; where receiving confirmatory information of the
retreat of the rebel forces, they hastened forward.
Thursday morning, February 13th, the division—infantry, cavalry, and
artillery, left Camp Madison for Bowling Green, forty-two miles distant,
and made twenty miles the first day. The railroad appeared to be but
little injured, but all the buildings were destroyed. The roads the
first day were in splendid order, but much obstructed by trees, which
were, however, speedily removed by two companies of mechanics and
engineers, who swung their axes with energy, and were never delayed over
fifteen minutes by any impediment. The ponds along the road were filled
with dead horses and cattle, so long as any cattle were to be found to
fill them. The troops rested at noon at Cave City, which was very nearly
destroyed. On the second day they started again for Bowling Green. The
next morning was cold, with about an inch and a half of snow, but they
were up betimes and on their way, the Nineteenth Illinois ahead as
usual, with her blue flag waving triumphantly. The road was obstructed,
and filled with signs of the rapid retreat of Hindman’s forces.
Hearing repeatedly that the railroad bridge over Barren river was
destroyed, and that the Confederates would not stand this side of the
river, Colonel Turchin ordered the cavalry and one battery ahead. The
ranks opened to the right and left, and Captain Loomis’ battery dashed
by in fine style toward Bowling Green. The men hearing the cannon roar,
hurried on, and reached the banks of the river opposite Bowling Green,
about two o’clock, making the forty-two miles in about thirty-seven
hours. After the firing commenced they seized every team along the road,
and had the knapsacks drawn by horses the rest of the way, much to the
relief of tired shoulders. General Turchin fired the first shell into
the town, and immediately three regiments were seen scampering to the
cars, and putting off in great confusion.
But though within a mile of Bowling Green, they were powerless to
interfere, for there was Barren river, wide and unfordable, between
them, and both bridges destroyed. The Texan Rangers soon began to fire
all the public buildings. Fifty men under Captain Scott, got ready to
cross in a little skiff by parties, and try to drive out the few who
remained to perform this work, but the General would not allow it. They
then pitched their tents and prepared to wait until a bridge could be
erected. When snugly tucked in their blankets, the assembly beat to
arms, and the brigade was soon in ranks. They expected to march to town,
but were put on the back track some three miles.
They left the main road, and soon came to the river, where they built
fires and rested as well as possible. Here the repairs of an old wherry
were completed, and they crossed the river, protected by artillery.
There was a slight snow falling, and it was uncomfortably cold. The
Nineteenth and Twenty-fourth, Hecker’s Illinois, crossed first. The men
suffered intensely from cold, but declared that they had rather be shot
than frozen, and pushed on. But no enemy appeared, and the tired
soldiers soon surrounded the fires, some of which had been burning for
several days. All the public buildings and several warehouses, filled
with pork, beef, coffee, etc., were destroyed. A pile of grain thirty
feet by twenty, was burning when the Federal troops arrived. Four
engines and several cars were also burnt. The cars had been carrying
away provision for a week, but still immense quantities were destroyed.
Boxes of guns, large numbers of bowie-knives roughly fashioned of iron,
every conceivable kind of shooting apparatus, and all sorts of hardware
for cooking and other uses were found in immense quantities.
Bowling Green is a town of considerable commercial importance, and
possesses many large stores and warehouses. The majority of the
inhabitants were loyal in their sentiments, though many influential
citizens sympathized with the rebellion; but when the work of
destruction commenced, no discrimination was allowed, and all were made
sufferers. The unexpected arrival of General Mitchell’s army, and the
terror of his artillery, drove the rebels from the town before their
incendiary intentions were fully consummated, and much private property
was saved which would else have been consumed by the flames.
When General Buckner was exercising military sovereignty in southern
Kentucky, one of his proclamations demanded that every man in Wright
county should deliver to him at his headquarters, one gun, or twenty
dollars in money, under the penalty of fifty dollars’ fine, or ninety
days’ imprisonment. In response to this edict, a motley collection of
old squirrel and shot-guns were added to the Confederate stores, and
with other treasures were packed in buildings at Bowling Green. A hasty
evacuation of that stronghold having become a “military necessity,”
these buildings were fired by the retreating rebels, and among the ruins
which met the curious gaze of General Mitchell’s men when they entered
the town, were scattered piles of the iron parts of these guns, in
several places a foot thick.
CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON.
FEBRUARY 13–16, 1862.
Bravely as the army of the West had sustained the honor of the Union,
the crowning glory of taking Fort Donelson remained to be accomplished.
To attack a strongly-defended fort, formidable by nature and rendered
almost impregnable by military art, was a work of extreme danger, nay,
of impossibility to less resolute men.
[Illustration:
ATTACK ON FORT DONELSON BY THE FEDERAL GUNBOATS.
]
[Illustration:
THE SURRENDER OF FORT DONELSON.
]
The relative positions of Fort Henry and Donelson, the former on the
Tennessee river and the latter on the Cumberland, should be clearly
understood, in order to comprehend the difficulties of this undertaking.
Fort Henry had been occupied by Federal troops, and it became necessary
to effect the reduction of Fort Donelson, in order to open the river to
the navigation of the national flotilla, and to reach Nashville, the
capital of Tennessee.
The surrender of Fort Henry took place on the 6th of February. One of
the gunboats, the Essex, being disabled, was obliged to return to Cairo
for repairs, while the Lexington, Conestoga and Tyler, returned to the
Ohio, in order to reach the Cumberland river to make the ascent to Fort
Donelson. Commodore Foote having completed his preparations, left Cairo
on the 11th of February for the scene of action—the Carondelet having
previously been sent forward to reconnoitre the position.
On the same day General Grant issued his orders for the movement of the
land forces in two divisions, on the following morning. The distance
from Fort Henry to Fort Donelson across the land lying between the two
rivers, is fourteen miles. There are several roads running from Fort
Henry to Dover, near which Fort Donelson was situated. The divisions
were disposed by brigades, one of which was to be thrown into Dover to
cut off the retreat of the enemy, if attempted by that route.
Fort Donelson takes its name from Andrew Jackson Donelson, a citizen of
Tennessee, and its construction was commenced as early as May, 1861. It
occupied the best position for defence on the Cumberland river, standing
on the summit of a fine slope, rising to the height of one hundred and
fifty feet from the river, on its right bank, and mounted sixteen guns.
There were two water batteries, one of which was about twenty or thirty
feet above the river, and defended by nine pieces, eight
thirty-two-pound guns, and one ten-inch columbiad. The second was some
sixty feet above, and was mounted with one ten-inch columbiad, and two
thirty-two pound carronades.
Both these batteries were sunken or excavated in the hill-side. In the
lower one, strong traverses were left between the guns, to secure them
against an enfilading fire. The elevation above the water at the time of
the gunboat attack, gave them a fine command of the river, and made the
task of attacking them in front an arduous one. The range of the guns in
arc, was, however, quite limited.
The third occupied the summit of the hill, and mounted four 128-pound
guns. The camp was behind the fort on the hill, but within range of
gunboats on the river.
THE NAVAL ATTACK.
On the night of February 11th, the St. Louis, (the flag-ship,)
Louisville, and Pittsburg, sailed from Cairo. The Carondelet, as already
stated, had been dispatched a day or two in advance, and at Paducah, on
the noon of the 12th, the fleet was joined by the Conestoga and Tyler.
Of these the three first were iron-clad vessels. From Paducah the fleet
was accompanied by sixteen transports, carrying six thousand infantry,
and cavalry and artillery.
The fleet followed the flag-ship of Commodore Foote, as they turned out
of the Ohio, and began the ascent of the Cumberland. Passing onward from
the Ohio, sweeping through Kentucky and Tennessee up to the western
boundaries of Virginia, the fleet carried the national ensign, which was
met with continual cheers and responses from the people on the banks.
About four o’clock in the afternoon, a messenger steamer, the Alps, met
the fleet, with a dispatch from General Grant, requesting all haste to
be made, as the gunboats were anxiously expected. Putting on steam, the
Alps took the St. Louis and Louisville in tow, leaving the transports to
hasten as rapidly as they could be urged. The former arrived within two
miles of the fort at twelve o’clock, on the night of Thursday, the 13th.
On the morning of that day, the Carondelet, by order of General Grant,
had bombarded the fort, and single-handed, commenced the attack on the
works. On the previous day she had advanced and fired eight shots, but
without drawing out any reply. The attack of the 13th was differently
met by the fort, as the shells were briskly responded to, and a vigorous
fire was maintained for two hours. The Carondelet kept her bows hard on
the fort, carefully guarding against presenting her broadside to the
enemy. She fired one hundred and twenty-eight shots in ninety-five
minutes. At the end of that time, a ball from one of the 128-pound guns
entered her port-bow, and struck a portion of her machinery. Six men
were slightly wounded by the splinters which flew from the ship’s
timbers. She retired beyond the range of the guns, to ascertain the
amount of damage, and in the afternoon, after repairing, was again
ordered to the charge, and fired a number of shots, but without sensible
effect.
The morning of the 14th found the flotilla lying in the wake of the
flag-ship. The transports had arrived, and the troops, with the
artillery, were landed about two miles from the fort. The arrival of the
fleet, and the thousands of determined soldiers, inspired the troops
already at the scene of action with new vigor; long and tumultuous
cheers came down the hills from the army under General Grant, which
could be seen in the distance, watching the movements of the fleet.
General Grant and his staff had gone on board the St. Louis, before
daylight, and an attack by the land forces was agreed upon, to be made
as soon as the signal gun should be given from the river. Accordingly,
at two o’clock, P. M., all the vessels comprising the flotilla, the
iron-clad boats St. Louis, Carondelet, Pittsburg, and Louisville, and
the two wooden boats, Conestoga and Tyler, got under way. They were then
about two miles from the fort. The line of battle was immediately
formed, the flag-ship taking the extreme right, with the Louisville,
Pittsburg, and Carondelet at the left, four abreast; the Conestoga and
Tyler, not being iron clad, remained in the rear, about a quarter of a
mile. The fleet proceeded at a speed of about three miles an hour, up
the river. At twenty-five minutes to three o’clock they reached the
termination of a long range of woods to the right, and came in full view
of the fort.
The fortifications were distinctly visible, consisting of three tiers of
frowning batteries, on the slope of a steep hill, one hundred and fifty
feet in height. About half-past two o’clock, the enemy opened fire from
a battery about twenty feet above water level, by discharging a
32-pounder, but the shot fell far short. This was followed by another
ball of larger dimensions, which also fell short. The Union men were
anxious to show the enemy a specimen of their fighting power, but the
Commodore would not permit them to fire a gun for fifteen minutes, until
they got within certain range of the fort. At a few minutes before three
o’clock, the St. Louis opened the battle on the national side, and the
other boats quickly followed. For a while all the shot fell short of the
mark.
The boats kept advancing slowly and steadily for about half an hour,
when the order was given to slack the engines, so as to prevent them
from coming in too close range. The firing then increased to a terrific
rate on both sides. The enemy poured 32 and 64-pound balls into the
vessels with great effect, and the gunners returned their 8-inch shell
and 64-pound rifle balls with unusual skill. In the heat of the action,
a shot from the enemy’s water battery carried away the flagstaff of the
St. Louis; almost the next shot took the chimney guys of the same boat.
A well sent ball from the St. Louis soon struck the flagstaff of the
enemy, which was on the top of the hill behind the batteries. This
terrible fire lasted about half an hour, when a 64-pound ball from the
middle battery cut the tiller ropes of the gunboat Louisville, rendering
her steering apparatus unmanageable. About the same time a shot entered
one of the windows of the pilot-house of the Carondelet, mortally
wounding the pilot. Thus the control of two Union boats was in a great
degree lost. Shortly after this, a 32-pound ball penetrated the
pilot-house of the St. Louis, mortally wounding one of the pilots,
injuring two other pilots, and severely wounding Flag-officer Foote.
There were five men in the pilot-house at the time, only one of whom
escaped injury. The room was filled with pieces of the broken wheel,
chains, room furniture and rubbish of every sort; there was no one there
to take the helm save the Commodore—no chance to call another to his
aid—so, equal to the emergency, the gallant old Commodore seized the
remaining handles of the wheel, and for a quarter of an hour acted the
double part of commander and pilot, and at last, when compelled to fall
back, he kept bow to the foe, and gave his orders as calmly and coolly
as when first entering the action.
At about the middle of the engagement, a 32-pound rifle shot took away
the flagstaff and Commodore’s pennant. In a moment half a dozen men
sprang out of the ports, caught the mutilated staff upon their
shoulders, hoisted the “blue flag” to its place, where they stood and
held it for several minutes, in the face of a most murderous fire.
Thus three powerful vessels were disabled by accidents that do not
happen twice in a hundred times. The men on board were unwilling to give
up the fight. The enemy had been driven from the lower battery, and
their fire had slackened perceptibly. What remained to be done? To fight
in such a current, with unmanageable boats, would, the Commodore knew,
be worse than folly. Reluctantly, therefore, he ordered them to fall
back.
The vessels then stopped their engines and floated slowly from their
positions. They had been within two hundred yards of the fort. The enemy
soon saw the condition of the fleet, and redoubled their fire. They ran
to the lower batteries and opened them on the retiring vessels with
terrific force. One of the guns of the Carondelet had burst in the
middle of the action, and the Pittsburg had received two balls below
water mark, causing her to leak rapidly. But they replied well to the
reinvigorated foe, and fired the last shot.
The fleet retired in good order, and anchored two miles below the fort.
The injuries to the gunboats were not very great. The principal damage
to the St. Louis was that sustained by the shot entering her
pilot-house. She was struck 61 times; the Pittsburg 47; the Carondelet
54; and the Louisville about 40. The enemy fired about 500 shots.
The fleet fired a little more than 300, about 75 of which were 8-inch
shells.