Ulysses S. Grant to Joseph E. Johnston, February 8, 1862

General JOHNSTON:

The Federal gunboats have landed at Florence, 5 miles from Tuscumbia and 48 miles west of Decatur; are marching on Tuscumbia; how many boats or men there are not known.

The citizens here have one brass 6-pounder in order, and the M. and C. R. R. one Parrott rifled 6-pounder and carriage, but not wheels; also one not mounted at all.

A company of men with infantry arms go from here some time tonight to assistance of Tuscumbia.

Can you give us any information, orders, or relief ? Our trains, except one, are out of their reach, and that one may be for what we can

learn. i A. J. HOPPER, Superintendent Eastern Division M. and C. R. R.

No. 4. Report of J. G. Norman.

TuscuMBIA, ALA., February 9, 1862.

Enemy’s gunboats (two in number) came to Florence eine Two steamers were burned below Eastport, three others at Florence were burned by the owners, and another scuttled and sunk, to prevent their falling into enemy’s hands. The enemy also captured a considerable amount of Government stores at Florence and two steamboats. Gunboats retired down the river last night. The railroad bridge at Florence was not destroyed. The enemy disclaimed any intention to destroy private property. It was rumored here to-day that the enemy were landing troops in force at Eastport to destroy the bridge at Big Bear Creek; this is not credited here. Colonel Chalmers is guarding that bridge with portions of his and Colonel Looney’s regiments. Since the fall of Fort Henry there is nothing to prevent the enemy during high water from ascending the Tennessee with their gunboats and invading North Alabama and North Mississippi.

FEBRUARY 12-16, 1862.—Siege and Capture of Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

No. 1.—Brig. Gen. U. S. Grant, U. S. Army, commanding army in the field.

No, 2.—Lieut. Col. James B. McPherson, U. S. Army, Chief Engineer.

No. 3.—Col. J. D. Webster, U. S. Army, Chief of Staff.

No. 4.—Flag-Officer A. H. Foote, U. S. Navy, of engagement February 14.

No. 5.—Return of casualties in the army commanded by Brigadier-General Grant.

No. 6.—Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand, U. 8. Army, commanding First Division.

No. 7.—Col. Richard J. Oglesby, Eighth Illinois Infantry, commanding First Brigade.

No. 8.—Lieut. Col. Frank L. Rhoads, Eighth Illinois Infantry.

No. 2.—Capt. Samuel B. Marks, Eighteenth Illinois Infantry.

No. 10.—Capt. Jasper M. Dresser, Battery A, Illinois Light Artillery.

No. 11.—Col. William H. L. Wallace, Eleventh Illinois Infantry, commanding Second Brigade.

No. 12.—Lieut. Col. T. E. G. Ransom, Eleventh Illinois Infantry.

No. 13.—Col. C. C. Marsh, Twentieth Illinois Infantry.

” No. 14.— Col. John E. Smith, Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry.

No. 15.—Col. Isham N. Haynie, Forty-eighth Illinois Infantry.

No. 16.—Capt. Edward McAllister, Battery D, First Illinois Light Artillery.

No. 17.—Capt. Ezra Taylor, Battery B, First Illinois Light Artillery.

No. 18.—OC 01. Leonard F. Ross, Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, commanding Third Brigade.

No. 19.—Col. William R. Morrison, Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, commanding Third Brigade.

No, 20.—Maj. Francis M. Smith, Seventeenth Illinois Infantry.

No. 21.—Col. John McArthur, Twelfth Illinois Infantry, commanding First Brigade, Second Division.

No. 22.—Lieut. Col. Augustus L. Chetlain, Twelfth Illinois Infantry.

No. 23.— Col. Isaac C. Pugh, Forty-first Illinois Infantry.

No. No. No. No. No. . 29.— Capt. George H. Stone, Battery K, First Missouri Light Artillery.

. 90.—OCol. James C. Veatch, Twenty-fifth Indiana Infantry, Fourth Brigade.

. 31.—Col. James M. Tuttle, Second Iowa Infantry.

. 32.— Lieut. Col. James C. Parrott, Seventh Iowa Infantry.

. 33.—Col. William T. Shaw, Fourteenth Iowa Infantry.

. 34.—Col. Morgan L. Smith, Eighth Missouri Infantry, commanding Fifth Brigade. . 95. —Col. George F. McGinnis, Eleventh Indiana Infantry.

. 36.—Maj. John McDonald, Eighth Missouri Infantry.

. 37.—Brig. Gen. Lewis Wallace, U. S. Army, commanding Third Division.

. 33.—Surg. Thomas W. Fry, U. S. Army, Medical Director.

. 39, —Col. Charles Cruft, Thirty-first Indiana Infantry, commanding First Brigade. . 40.—Maj. Frederick Arn, Thirty-first Indiana Infantry.

. 41.—Col. Hugh B. Reed, Forty-fourth Indiana Infantry.

. 42.—Col. John H. McHenry, jr., Seventeenth Kentucky Infantry.

. 43.—Col. J. M. Shackelford, Twenty-tifth Kentucky Infantry.

. 44.— Col. John M. Thayer, First Nebraska Infantry, commanding Third Brigade. . 45.—Message from the President of the Confederate States.

. 46.—Gen. A. Sidney Johnston, C. S. Army, commanding the Western Department,

24.—Col. John Cook, Seventh Illinois Infantry, commanding Third Brigade. 25.—Col. Joseph J. Woods, Twelfth Iowa Infantry. .—

26.— Col. Crafts J. Wright, Thirteenth Missouri Infantry. ` *

27.—Capt. Henry Richardson, Battery D, First Missouri Light Artillery. 28.—Capt. F. Welker, Battery H, First Missouri Light Artillery.

and resulting correspondence.

. 47.—Lieut. Col. Jeremy F. Gilmer, C. S. Army, Chief Engineer Western Department.

. 48.— Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd, C. S. Army, commanding division, &c. . 49.—Col. Gabriel C. Wharton, Fifty-first Virginia Infantry, commanding First

. 50.—Col. John McCausland, Thirty-sixth Virginia Infantry, commanding Second

. 51.—Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, C. S. Army, commanding divison, &c., with

resulting correspondence.

. 52.—Brig. General Simon B. Buckner, C. S. Army, commanding division, &c. .53.—Col. William E. Baldwin, Fourteenth Mississippi Infantry, commanding

Second Brigade.

. 54.—Col. Roger W. Hanson, Second Kentucky Infantry (Confederate).

. 55.—Maj. W. L. Doss, Fourteenth Mississippi Infantry.

. 56.—Col. John M. Lillard, Twenty-sixth Tennessee Infantry.

. 57.— Col. Robert Farquharson, Forty-first Tennessee Infantry.

. 58.—Col. John C. Brown, Third Tennessee Infantry, commanding Third Brigade. . 59.—Maj. Nat. F. Cheairs, Third Tennessee Infantry.

. 60.— Col. Joseph B. Palmer, Eighteenth Tennessee Infantry.

. 61.—Col. Edward C. Cook, Thirty-second Tennessee Infantry.

. 62.—Brig. Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson, C. S. Army, commanding division, &o.

. 63.— Col. A, Heiman, Tenth Tennessee Infantry, commanding brigade. 64.—Lieut. T. MeGinnis, Acting Adjutant Forty-second Tennessee Infantry.

. 65.—Lieut. R. B. Ryan, Aide-de-Camp, of operations of Davidson’s brigade.

. 66.—Col. John M. Simonton, First Mississippi Infantry, commanding brigade.

. 67.—Lieut. Col. H. B. Lyon, Eighth Kentucky Infantry, (Confederate).

. 63.— Col. John Gregg, Seventh Texas Infantry.

. 69.—Col. John W. Head, Thirtieth Tennessee Infantry, commanding brigade,

. 70.—Maj. William N. Brown, Twentieth Mississippi Infantry.

. 71.—Col. Nathan B. Forrest, Tennessee Cavalry. :

. 72.—OCol. Milton A. Haynes, C. S. Army, Chief of Tennessee Corps of Artillery. . 73.—Cod. J. E. Bailey, Forty-ninth Tennessee Infantry, of the water batteries, dec.

^ mam XVIL] CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON, TENN.

No. 74.—Capt. Jacob Culbertson, C. S. Army, commanding batteries.

No. 75.—Capt. B. G. Bid well, Thirtieth Tennessee Infantry, commanding battery.

No. 76.—Capt. T. W. Beaumont, Fiftieth Tennessee Infantry, commanding battery.

No. 77.—Capt. R. R. Ross, Maury (Tennessee) Artillery.

No. 78.—Extracts from the report of the Special Committee of the Confederate House of Representatives.

Report of Brig. Gen. U. S. Grant, U. S. Army, commanding army in the field.

Fort DONELSON, February 16, 1862.

GENERAL: I am pleased to announce to you the unconditional surrender this morning of Fort Donelson, with 12,000 to 15,000 prisoners, atleast forty pieces of artillery, and a large amount.of stores, horses, mules, and other publie property.

I left Fort Henry on the 12th instant with a force of about 15,000 men, divided into two divisions, under the eommand of Generals MeClernand and Smith. Six regiments were sent around by water the day before, convoyed by a gunboat, or rather started one day later than one of the gunboats, and with instructions not to pass it. The troops made the march in good order, the head of the column arriving within were met and driven in. The fortifications of the enemy were from this point gradually approached and surrounded, with oceasional skirmishing on the line. The following day, owing to the non-arrival ot the gunboats and re-enforcements sent by water, no attack was made, but the investment was extended on the flanks of the enemy and drawn closer to his works, with skirmishing all day.

The evening of the 15th the gunboats and re-enforcements arrived. On the 14th a gallant attack was made by Flag-Officer Foote upon the enemy’s works with the fleet. The engagement lasted probably an hour and a half, and bid fair to result favorably to the cause of the Union, when two ‘unlucky shots disabled two of the armored boats so that they were carried back by the current. The remaining two were very much disabled, also having received a number of heavy “shots about the pilothouses and other parts of the vessels. After these mishaps I concluded to make the investment of Fort Donelsou as perfect as possible, and partially fortify and await repairs to the gunboats. This plan was frustrated however, by the enemy making a most vigorous attack upon our right wing, commanded by General J. A. MeClernand, with a portion of the force under General L. Wallace. The enemy were repelled after a elosely-eontested battle of several hours, in which our loss was heavy. The officers, and particularly field officers, suffered out of proportion. — I have not the means yet of determining our loss even approximately, but it cannot fall far short of 1,200 killed, wounded, and missing.* Of the latter I understand through General Buckner about 250 were taken prisoners. I shall retain enough of the enemy to exchange for them, as they were immediately shipped off and not left for recapture.

About the close of this action the ammunition in cartridge-boxes gave out, which, with the loss of many of the field officers, produced great confusion in the ranks, and, seeing that the enemy did not.take advantage of it, convinced me that “equal confusion and possibly greater demoralization “existed with him. Taking advantage of this fact, I

* But see No. 5, p. 167.

“-— >» ordered a charge upon the left (enemy’s right) with the division under General C. F. Smith, which was most brilliantly executed, and gave to our arms full assurance of victory. The battle Jasted until dark, giving us possession of part of the intrenchments. An attack was ordered from the other flank after the charge by General Smith was commenced by the divisions under Generals McClernand and Wallace, which, notwithstanding the hours of exposure to a heavy fire in the forepart of the day, was gallantly made, and the enemy further repulsed. At the i points thus gained, night having come on, all the troops encamped for rf the night, feeling that a complete victory would crown their labors at 1 an early hour in the morning. This morning at a very early hour a note was received from General S. B. Buckner, under a flag of truce, proposing an armistice, &e. A K; copy of the correspondence which ensued is herewith accompanying. ” I cannot mention individuals who specially distinguished themselves, E but leave that to division and brigade commanders, whose reports will Ah be forwarded as soon as received. To division commanders, however, i e /

Generals McClernand, Smith, and Wallace, I must do the justice to say that each of them were with their commands in the midst of danger, and were always ready to execute all orders, no matter what the expos- i ure to themselves. At the hour the attack was made on General MeClernand’s command I was absent, having received a note from FlagOfficer Foote requesting me to go and see him, he being unable to call, in consequence of a wound received the day before. My personal staff, Col. J. D. Webster, chief of staff; Col. J. Riggin, jr., volunteer aide; Capt. J. A. Rawlins, assistant adjutant- general; Capts. C. B. Lagow and W. S. Hillyer, aides, and Lieut. Col. J. B. MePherson, chief engineer, all are deserving of personal mention for their gallantry and service. For full details see reports of engineers, medical directors, and commanders of brigades and divisions, to follow. Iam, general,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,