From Fort Henry to CorinthForce, M. F. (Manning Ferguson)
History
From Fort Henry to Corinth
Force, M. F. (Manning Ferguson)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns
Soon after daybreak, Sunday the 16th, the men of Lauman's brigade heard
the notes of a bugle advancing from the fort. It announced an officer,
who bore to General Grant a letter from General Buckner, proposing the
appointment of commissioners to agree upon terms of capitulation, and
also proposing an armistice until noon. General Grant replied,
acknowledging the receipt of the letter, and adding: "No terms except an
unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move
immediately upon your works." Buckner replied: "The distribution of the
forces under my command, incident to an unexpected change of commanders,
and the overwhelming force under your command, compel me,
notwithstanding the brilliant success of the Confederate arms yesterday,
to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose."
White flags were displayed along the works; the National troops marched
in, and General Grant at once made the following order: "All prisoners
taken at the surrender of Fort Donelson will be collected as rapidly as
practicable near the village of Dover, under their respective company
and regimental commanders, or in such manner as may be deemed best by
Brigadier-General S.B. Buckner, and will receive two days' rations
preparatory to embarking for Cairo. Prisoners are to be allowed their
clothing, blankets, and such private property as may be carried about
the person, and commissioned officers will be allowed their side-arms."
There is disagreement as to the number of guns captured. There were
thirteen in the water-batteries and eight in the fort. Besides, there
were eight artillery companies, whose field-pieces were disposed in nine
positions along the line of intrenchments. Six of these companies were
those of Maney, Porter, Graves, Green, Guy, Jackson. The other two are
called Ross and Murray in the account in the Nashville _Patriot_, and
called Parker and French on the pen-sketch of the works showing the
position of the light batteries, found among the Confederate records.
The number of pieces in these batteries is not given. Badeau gives the
number of guns surrendered at sixty-five, and no reason is seen why that
is not correct.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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