ARMY OPERATIONS. 



35 



mont, Maj. Clark ; one Company, Col. Lngg ; 

 Porter's artillery; 3d Tennessee regiment, Col. 

 Brown; 8th Kentucky regiment, Capt. Lyon; 

 30th Tennessee regiment, Maj. Humphrey; 32d 

 Tennessee regiment, Col. Cook ; 41st Tennes- 

 see regiment. Col. Forquehanor; Mississippi 

 regiment, Col. Davidson. A portion of the 

 Federal troops in Gen. McClernand's division 

 were under arms two days and nights, amid 

 driving storms of snow and rain. 



The fall of the fort occasioned great rejoic- 

 ing in the Northern cities. 



The commanding general (Grant) thus ad- 

 dressed his troops : 



HEADQUARTER, DISTRICT OP "WEST TENN., |_ 



FOBT DOXELSON, Feb. 17, 1SG2. f 



The General commanding takes great pleasure in 

 congratulating the troops of this command for the 

 triumph over rebellion gained by their valor on the 

 ISth, 14th, and 15th instant. 



For four successive uights, -without shelter during 

 the most inclement weather known in this latitude, 

 they faced an enemy in large force in a position chosen 

 by himself. Though strongly fortified by nature, all 

 the additional safeguards suggested by science were 

 added. Without a murmur this was borne, prepared 

 at all times to receive an attack, and with continuous 

 skirmishing by day, resulting ultimately in forcing the 

 enemy to surrender without conditions. 



The victory achieved is not only great in the effect 

 it will have in breaking down rebellion, but has secured 

 the greatest number of prisoners of war ever taken in 

 auy battle on this continent. 



Fort Donelson will hereafter be marked in capitals 

 on the map of our united country, and the men who 

 the battle will live in the memory of a grateful 

 people. By order U. S. GRANT, 



Brigadier-General Commanding. 



The following is the order of Gen. Halleck : 



HEADQUARTERS. DEPARTMENT or MISSOURI. 1 

 ST. Louis. Fib. 19, li'J-2. f 



The Major-General commanding the department con- 

 gratulates Flag-Officer Foote, Brig.-Gen. Grant, and 

 the brave officers and men under their command on 

 the recent brilliant victories on the Tennessee and 

 Cumberland. 



The war is not ended. Prepare for new conflicts and 

 new victories. Troops are concentrating from every, 

 direction. We shall soon have an army which will be 

 irresistible. The Union Flag must be'restored every- 

 where, and the enthralled Union men in the South 

 must be set free. The soldiers and sailors of the Great 

 West are ready and willing to do this. The time and 

 place have been determined on. Victory and glory 

 await the brave! 



By comniand of Maj. Gen. HALLECK. 



N. II. McLEA.v, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



The Confederate Congress heing at that time 

 in session, the following Message was addressed 

 to that body by President Davis 



EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. March 11, 1862. 

 To tTie Sp(aJ:fr of the House of Representatives : 



I transmit herewith copies of such official reports aa 

 have been received at the War Department of the de- 

 fence and fall of Fort Donelson. 



They will be found incomplete and unsatisfactory. 

 Instructions have been given to furnish further in- 

 formation upon the several points not made intelligi- 

 ble by the reports. It is not stated that reinforcements 

 were at any time asked for ; nor is it demonstrated to 

 have been impossible to have saved the army by evac- 

 uating the position ; nor is it known by what means 

 it was found practicable to withdraw "a part of the 



garrison, leaving the remainder to surrender; nor upon 

 what authority or principles of action the senior Gen- 

 erals abandoned responsibility by transferring the 

 command to a junior officer. 



In a former communication to Congress, I presented 

 the propriety of a suspension of judgment in relation 

 to the disaster at Fort Donelson, until official reports 

 could be received. I regret that the information now 

 furnished is so defective. In the mean time, hopeful 

 that satisfactory explanation may be made, I nave 

 directed, upon the exhibition of th'e case as presented 

 by the two senior Generals, that they should be re- 

 lieved from command, to await further orders when- 

 ever a reliable judgment can be rendered on the merits 

 of the case. JEFFERSlLN DAVIS. 



The successful operations against Fort Donel- 

 son were followed by the immediate evacuation 

 of Bowling Green by the Confederate troops 

 under Gen. Johnston. The centre of Gen. 

 Buell's army under Gen. Mitchell was advan- 

 cing from Munfordsville upon Bowling Green, 

 on the 14th of February, and by a forced march 

 reached the river at that place on the next day. 

 He immediately began to reconstruct the 

 bridge, which had been burned some hours 

 previous to his arrival, and took possession of 

 the fortifications on the next day. 



Since the battle of Mill Springs the intention 

 of holding Bowling Green had been given up 

 by the Confederate commander, and the troops 

 were gradually withdrawn. About the 25th 

 of January Gen. Floyd, with a command com- 

 posed of his brigade and those of Gens. Wood 

 and Breckinridge, left Bowling Green and went 

 to Nashville and east Tennessee. The brigade 

 of Gen. Buckner about the same time moved 

 in the direction of Hopkinsville, near which 

 place he manoeuvred in front of Gen. Critten- 

 den until the latter left to join Gen. Grant, 

 when Gen. Buckner fell back and combined his 

 forces with those at Fort Donelson. The force 

 then remaining at Bowling Green consisted of 

 the brigades commanded by Gens. Hardee 

 and Hindman, which were chiefly Arkansas 

 regiments, and twelve in number. This force, 

 being about 8,000 men, was totally inadequate 

 to defend the position against the forces of 

 Gen. Mitchell and the reserve of Gen. Bnell 

 commanded by Gen. McCook. 



On the 19th of February Com. Foote left 

 Fort Donelson -with tl- gunboats Conestoga 

 and Cairo on an armed reconnoissance. At 

 Clarksville he learned that nearly two thirds 

 of the citizens had fled in alarm, and therefore 

 issued a proclamation, assuring u all peaceably 

 disposed persons that they could with safety 

 resume their business avocations, and requiring 

 only the military stores and equipments to be 

 given up and holding the authorities responsi- 

 ble that it should be done without reservation." 

 Clarksville is on the line of railroad communi- 

 cation between Memphis and Nashville and 

 Memphis and Bowling Green and Louisville. 

 Below the town were two small forts which 

 were taken by the Federal force without any 

 resistance. They mounted three guns each. 

 One span of the railroad bridge had also been 

 destroyed. 



