Three Days Fight!

Frnm tlie mnss oí loóse and contradiotory di.-pn'ches relativa to the recent fiiflit fit Fort Doneison wo abstract the follojviogr, thinking them as near the íruth as can be obtained in advance of the "fficial reporta: Chic -go, Fob. 14. A ppec;u! to the Tribune, dated Camp InfiVM, noar Fort Done!on, the ISth, at 1-2:30, says: " Fort Donelson is inyested by our troop?. Onr linea ure ïormed frnm rigiit to left, from nnrth to sonth, nearly pnrrounding the furt. Heavy cannonading and skir m'stiing hiis been going on einee 7 fi'clock A. M. Owing to the estent oí onr line of actiorK, but little can be lenrqed of the result. " General McClrwind' ulvision is opernting on the right "ing, and Gen. Smith on tlie left. We have hnd but onp gjunbont tojjfly npon the fort unt] juut wi'.hin th3 last half hour, whcn olher snnhnnts nre firing on the fort. ' Tho Jorca pstimntod vviihin the brpns-twork froni th hest infonnation is aVnt 15,000. lSro tvinfnrcornents can n'uv arrive, as all cotmnunieutions are ent oiï. ' It is no-v t'notjght that their left reiloiibt has fullen nti onr hands. All thn i;ffioers are acting with great valor, exhibiting a fearlessnoss highlv erclitable to our western anny. Gen. Grant and stafF have hnen deling alonar iho line.s all the morning, roarardlefs of the grape that ig baing howcred in evory direction." Chicago, "Ftjb. 15. A spocial ff thn Journaf, two miles from Fort Donelson, the 14th, saja : Tho jrt ick eorninonoc J at 7.J yostorday niornin? tiv tie Irinl farces under Gr:int, tnit-li nil McCJerrand. The fnrt ia sorroondeJ. The high, steep hills ure heavüy unodej and protected by twi rcdoubtfl, tronches anJ rifle pits. Tho reilde L:av battlo from the cntrenchrnunts óiuside tho fort. They wero driven iti after a severo battle,aiid eonsiderjiblo loss on both vides. Onr troops hold two of tho rebel bnttrics rmtüide f the fort. Onr loss is probably nbout 45 killed, nnd 150 to 200 wounded. Eight thoapand tronps und four gunboats urrivt'd last night, and the battle will ba rcsumed to-d:iy. Chicago, Feb. 15, 8 P. M. " The cunnonading and nkirfnwbing has continueil biikly alf day, hut has hitely diccontiii'iicd. A considerable n amber havo boen wounded on both rideí". TheTwenty-fitth Indiana which msbed xddly ti to tho fintroDohments, h:ul during the4uy fort}' of their men wounded, all lightly. Tiie Sevenlh Illinois and Seveoth Ioa, who have been close to the cnc-my's fi re, lost eome nien. " Hirge'ñ Sliarpshooters have dono jjood Bervice. They kept eeveral of the enemy'rt guns idle by pieking oiï the cannoniera ná fast as tiioy appeared nt the guns. " Captain Brink, with a company of savnlry, went arnund to tho left bank of tho rivor thia aíturnoon, and reporta that tho gunboüt C.irondolet received a ton inch ball through her casemate, which wounded eiifht men, but did nol injnre the beat materiaily. Oapvain Walker, of tho Carondelet, says ba has disinounted three of the cnemy's river jiuns. The Other guuboats had not arrived up to six P. M. ■' The on'.'iny'.s rifle shots and grape havo been rlying tluck and faat itbout hei uil duy. Sine sis bhots f truck around General Grant and stafi this aflernoon while they were riding along the lines, Oi:u builet liit one of the norse ut tho body-guard cmr by. ' Tha fort wili bo etormcd in tiro days if not suriendured bisfufo. Qur tnen have drireo bucle tlo euemy in cvery Uutaneo. " Pillow, Floyd, Johnstou aud Bucknor nre said to bo hure. " One cornpany has been within eventy-tive yards of tho euensy's en trenchinonts." TUE GUNBOAT ATTACK. St. Louis, Feb. 16. A special to thu Mi.-Sotiri Democrat, dn'ud Caiio, Sunduy af lurnoon, says ! "Commodore Footoreacbed hereatl2 o'clock last iiight on board the Cancatogu. He !-tjrmcd Fort Donelson Fridiy ttfternooo wi.h tlio guubouts Sc. Louis, Loui-svüle, PitUburgh, Carondalet, Tvlor and Canet-U)ga, and after figlilini u littlo over an hour withdrew. " Filu-four iiiun wuiu killed and woundod on tliü gunboats, the pilots Keilly and lliaton, oL thu St. Louia, büing amoiig the luttur. Coin. Fo.iio, l liilo btuuding on tlio pilot hiiuse of tlio Bt. L'iuis, liis tjag tiliip, was sügiitly noundcd. The Sw Luuis was hittsixtyone times. " Two gunboats were disubled. Tha Tylur and Canestoga remained out of raiiö o{ the encniy's guns. '; 7'b line of battlo was as follows : Th Si, Louis on the rigbt, next tho Louwvjüo then thu Pittaburgh.aad the C'arun lelet on ihe left. Tho eneniy's firing mw vury uccurate. Thoy had threo battonos, ogü naar the water, one (ifty fcet i.bovu tbi, und a tbird lif'ty feet above tha fecond The upper one incunted fdur 18 paaodertt. Tl. is one was heUl in reserve until uur boats got within 400 yards of tho fort. Our h'r was directud pnucipally at tho watc Itattvrr. Ouo of the enomv's guns burst and a nuinbur inore wcro disUiouíitcd. Tbo eiioiiiy could bo seen fjarrying thcir dead out of the trenches. ■'jyi tho gunboals wcru left up the Cumbtffjarid, except the Canestogu, and fcho left littiru yiisterduy morúing. A riflad gui) ihö Carondelet biirst. Jfilling six ineij. 'f lio í-udder of tho Jittaburgli wuí slnt hwuv. Tho rnortHP boats left hure yust,iírtay tnoniing, '■ ''ho abuvo Btuturnmtt of tbe light wu ruouivud froiii u goiitjei;un who w:iu ub)uat tliü St. Ijüuiti dmjpg tbo onngumui)t. " Lvftjic - A yoiitjuinan wbo left Poft DoiieUoii vosturdiiy itlU'raoori at thruo o'ulock, und rcachad taero tbid uoon, r!V" tho t'U: h;;d bcci) 'n"' ou ul! 1mV y;f'-i 'l.-iv, :iní the iii_'hf wirg nf tlm i-iiüioyV lol titication.i l:;id bi-eü . kin, nd iho Union ilag was flouting I ■ver thom. The 6rcee wero bronat to , h'iv'-i', and the fiyht was to be i.ewed " ITILI. KUKTIir.K 1CCÓCKT. St. Loma, Feb. 1G. A perhil to the ])nnocrat, dated the réur f Port Douelaon, Fridiiy afternnon, nñys: "Last night w:is very eovcru on nur troops, tl. o min huving eet in which turr.ed to untw. It i- f reezing ] to-rlny, :ind ohJ filizens b:iv they rutely Imvo such cold we&ther iu tliis latTho ronro T wo of the fui'l Ihe move cñnvinced i "n t öaimot bo reduced without a terrible biittlo. lts roar feemR ilmnst impregnnbli?. The outer works and bcslionu of tho fort are ocated on vidges 150 to 250 feist high, covered wlth dense timbar mid unriorjjrowth. TJpon a Bimiier range of billa, lUtside these, onr arrny ís drawi up in line of bnttlif, comoletely encireüng tho enemy trom the Oomberland sonth oí the fort to the back tratar of a streain whioh flanks the iort on the north. - Gen. Oglesby, who has the extreme gbt, lust night peshed forward hia ïrignde to the Cuotberland, and has )lanted a battery commanding the rivr, which wül efi'jclually prevent the rrival of nny reinforcoments. In fuet o have them completely surroanded, nd can complete the job at our leisure. A formidable atlompt wns made last ight to take Taylor's Battery, by the enemy, who approached under cover oi darkneas, but thcy wero gallantly repulrod by tho Twentietb Ülinois, - Considerable skirrnishing ocxuïred during the night, both lorces ondeavoring in the d;;rlcneïs to crawl in upon the other. This morning it was discovered that thcenemy had placed log on tho top of their breastworks, Icaving littlo spnco for thfm to shoot through, and miich diminishing their risks irom tho unerring aim of our gbarp shooters, Tho cnsualties among onr nrtillerv thus far was very smal!. The loss oí the enemv as far asc.in bo ascortuined, is considerable. Yesterday afterni on aftor the storming party had retired, and when the rtbelí, liad been thickly crowdcd together to reptl tho assanlt, Captain Taylor opened on them with terrible effect. His practico was superb, creating the greatest consternation in their rank?, and eausing them to take reftige in their entrenchments. The gnnboat nssnult was terrific, excceding even the Fort ilenry botnbardmont It Insted abont an hour and a hnlf. The enomy had ironting on the river two batteries, tho lower ono of QÍneaod the upper of four gnns, besides a 10 inch columbiad. Tho wooden gun. bnats Tylcr and Canestoga wero engatred in the fight. Coin. Foote pro. nounces the engagement the hottest he ever witnossed. Seven of the ninoguns in the lower tier of the enemy V battery had beon silenced, and everything was apparently progressing favorably whon the rudder chain of tho Carondelet was sevored. 'iho Pittbborgh was danaged in her wheel po as to be unablö to stem the current,and tho pilot-house of the St. Loui.i was knockod away, kiliing tho pilot, tind slightly wounding several others, among them Com. Foote. The fleet. then was obliged to retiro. Ono oL our shells strtick namediatuly under ono of tho eneiny's guns, throwinsr the gun and bodies of the gunners high in the tir. A great nutnber of doad and wo:inded could bo eeen carriud up the hill. - Com. FcotuV wound is eligl t. Tho St. Louis wns atruck fifty-seven times, tho Louisvillo thirty-four, tho Pittsburgh twenty-ono and tho Carondulet tv.euty sis. THE FIGHT ON SATÜRDAY. St. Louis, Feb. 17. The Repvhlicans Kort Donelson correspondent gives the followiug account oi' ,be fight on Saturday : " Y?sterday morning, just at daylight, heavy sortio was made by the garrison 'rom the left portion of their works. - This attack was made upon the extreme riglit wing of the Union arniy, wliere it was weakest. Part of Gr:n. McClernand's división, under Col. Oglesh}-, coubisting of his brigade, was stationed there, also Schw&rtz aud MeAUister's jatteric-s. ' The point was upon a ridge leading nto the right redoubt and was siluated ust abovo the mftio fort. ' During the niglit the euemy could 3C heard busily at work, but w!)at at it was impossible to teil, as thiekets and woods encompassed the Uuion troops on every sido, rendering the view iu any direction alinost impoesible. "At daylight, a large body of the ene mr suddeuly appeared ou the extreme iht wing of Uol. Oglesby's cominand, and oponed a terrible lire with cannon from their redoubts, playing at the same time upon our forcea t'rom guns placed in position on the uight previous. The camp of the 29th and 31t Illinois was most esposud, and the whole brigade was at once t'ormed into line as follows : the lSth Illinois held the extreme right ; the 8th Illinois nest; the 80 tb Illinois nest, then the 'Oth Illinois supporting the right ')f Captain Sehwartz'ü battery, the 31st Illinois dcfüuding the artillcrj on the left. "From the fning of the firstgun until nino o'clock, the battle raged unremittingly, and with fearful loss on both &ides. Again and again our troops drove the eneniy back, but they were often re inforced, while our troops had, owing to the extended liues of the ariny, also their position ou the extreme right, to fight unassisted. More gallant fighting never took place than that of the Union troops exposed to the terrifie firiug of treble their nuniber. They stood their ground until in some of : the regimeuts every oflicer was killod or wounded. At last, and reluetantly, regiment by regiment they slowly feil back, lëuving Sehwartz's Battcrj and three of McAUisters' guns iu the iebels' hands. - Retiring a few hundred yards, they agaiu made a stand ar,d Gen. Smith arrived with reiuforcementa and at once drove the eneiny agaiu into their works. " In the tirst of the battlo wa3 also Gen. Wallace's Brigade, the lltli, 12th, 17th, and 48th, also óftl. MuArthur's Brigade ; all of whicli troops suffi;ied severoly, opposcd to them were twelve thousand rebels supported by guus placed carefully in position. " Gen, Graut, having command of a división, drovo the enemy back with reinforcements and gained the logt ground. Ho niincdiutely ordorod au advauco by General Smith on tho left, eliargiug uu der a hot firo up the steep hill, on which was the outer redoubt, our troops gained the high breastworks, aud with hardly a pause, went over them, plantod the stars and stripes over the wallü. Uuder a most galliug iiro thcy formed aud charged aud drove the rebels back uutil they ftll into a dcw positiun behiud souie batíerius. ''When evening camo the Union troops had bfctm viotorious at every point, havjug guiucd back tue grouud loat iu tin tuorning, nud pt withiti part of the ïu's Works. " Our troops held their postüijn darjiu tbc night, and ropallei tho lepeated I saults. " The sceno wit'iin the rnjtfurcd Éurt nfter the surrondor showed limr torribly thö rebel garrison had RuflereO. , where wpro lying fragmonts of sliells and I round shot, huif buried 11 tho earth, 1 teuts werfi torn to pipces, gun-earriages broken, and blond BCAttcred around. In the left redoubt, wlioro tho nsgault had ! taken placo, the tlcad bodies lay thicktv and abundant. Evidence of the j stern resistaace and gallant attack was 1 " On tlio extreme right half a mik '■ distaut, where tho desperate sortie was made by the garrison, similar scènes wero visiblo. " ïhe gallnntry of the Union troops ; h;ia been wcll and ïovcu-Iy te.sted, and ! they bave provod raoio than equal to the task before thurn. "As the floot approached tlie fort this : mom ing, a saluto wan iired, and lond eheers went up whon the American flags wcre visible. " No oiScer n the anny had any dca of Fort Donclson's defonsos wntil tbey had been gaincd and examined. " Several regimenta when out of ' munttion rushed forward, and altUough csposed to the full iire of ttio rebel , Ion', gallautly drove their focs back with the bayonct and capturcd thoir guüs." THE SUR11ENDER. Puring Saturday night a contraction of all our lines was inade for n simultancous assault fiom evcry point, and orders were given by Gcii. Grant to take the cnemy at the point of tho bayonet. - Every man was at his post, the 57th Illinois on their extreme rigiit. At break an advance was made. When full light of day broke i'orth white flags were hang in niany places on tho encmy's works. An oificer at a convenient pomt was informeel that they had stacked their arins an d surrenderod early in the morning, the following pithy eorrespondenee having passed betweeu their cornmanders : Headqi'arteiij. Fout Donblson, ) Feb. 16, l6a. SrR - In consideration of all the circumstances governing the present situation of affairs at this station, I propose to the comnianding offieer of the Federal forces, the appointment of cominissioncra to agree upon tern.s of capitulation of tho forces at post under my coinraand. - In that view I suggest an armiutice uutil 12 o'clock. I am, very rcfpectfully, Your obedient sorvant, (Signed) S. B. BUCKNER, Brigadier Oencrnl C. S. A. To Rri.iilicr Goncrnl U S. Ornnt, Command ing Ü. S. forcea near Fort Donelson. HkADQLABTRBS. IN FlKLD. ) Fout Domelsox, Fc-b 16, 1862 J Gen. S. B. Buckner : Sia - Yours of this date proposir.g an armÍ8tice and tho appointment of commissioners to settle tenns of capitulation is just received. No terms except unconditional, iinmediate surrender can be neoepted. I propose to rnove immcdiately upon your works. I am, sir, very reapeotfully, your obeUiont servant, (8ignd) IT. S, ORANT, Brig.iJicr General Couimandlng. ITKADQL'AnTEns, Dover, Tk.nx. ) Fubnmry 16, 1B62. ') Brigadier General U. S. Graut, U. 8. A. Sir - The distribution of forces under idv comraand iacident to an unexpocted chango of commanders, and an overwhelming forcé under your command compel me, notwithstanding the briüiant success of the Confedérate arins yesterday, to accept the ungeuerous, uuchivalrous terms which yon proposo. I nm, sir, vou obedient acrvnnt, (Signed S. ti. BUOKNliR, Brigadier Gcueral, C. S. A, Our wiiole forco was soon in the enemy's workfl, aud the rebel officejs gave up Lhoir swords. The bulk of the rebels were ehajir.ned, as they liad kuown of the surrender long heforo our men were npprised of ït, and as Pillow and Floyd had planncd and executed their escapo duriug tho night, taking witb thc-iu Floyds brigade and a few favorites, oooupying what few small steamers tliey had at first. The prisoters aro loud in their denuneiation of the runaways. - Many of tbeoa acknowledged the hopelessness of their canso, and intimated a willicgness to take the oath of allegiance and return to their homes. To a question put to an oiüctv as to how muuy prisouers we had, he replied, you have all out of 25,000, those who were not killed and did uot escape. OUR LOSS. Chicago, Feb. 17. A private message this evening to the Sanitary Committee, from Cairo, says 300 were killed. 000 wouuded and 100 missing at Fort Donelsüii. Atnong our killed are a large number of offieers, ineluding several Lieutenaut Colonels, aud among the wounded are Col. Logan, late member of Congress, and several Lieut Colonels. Ths list of killed is not yet pertected, nor tüe nuinber certaiu. THE PRISONERS AND .VOUííDED. St. Louis, Feb. 18. Gen. Cullutn, cliief of Halleok'a staff, will go Cumberland for tbo prisoners captured at Fort Donelson. 7,000 of thcin are to bo seut to Chicago, and the bahncdïto Springfield, Illinois, aud Indiatiapolis. Five hundrod of the wounded will go to Cineiunati and tbc balacee be hero. The regiments which suffered most in tbo battlo are to bo detached as a guard to the prisoners to the places of tlicir eoufineuicnt. Souie 4,000 prisoners ara now en route frora Fort Donelson. Aniong the prisoners are Gen. S. B. Buckncr, of Ky., and Gen. Uushrod Johnson iind Geü. West of Tennessee. - Pillow aud Floyd vamooaed Saturday night, THE KEBEL FORCE. The coruposition of the rebel forces was as follows : TenneBsee 11 regiments, Mississippi 8, ïexas 1, Keutucky 2, Arkansas 1, Virginia 4, aud oue battaliion of Cavalry each from Alabama, ïenneasec, aud Mississippi.