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THE CAPTURE OF FORT D0NELS0N.

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GLIMPSE OF THE CUMBERLAND RIV-ER WHERE THE GUN-BOATS FIRSTAPPEARED, LOOKING NORTHFROM THE HIGHEST EARTH-WORKS OF FORT DONELSON.FROM A PHOTOGRAPHTAKEN IN 1884.

teries. A left wing was or-ganized into six brigades,commanded respectivelyby Colonels Heiman, Da-vidson, Drake, Wharton,McCansland, and Baldwin,and posted from right toleft in the order named.Four batteries were dis-tributed amongst the leftwing. General Bushrod R.Johnson, an able officer,served the general com-manding as chief-of-stafif.Dover was converted into adepot of supplies and ord-nance stores. These dispo-sitions made, Fort Donel-son was ready for battle.

It may be doubted ifGeneral Grant called acouncil of war. The near-est approach to it was aconvocation held on thethat was afterward trans-The morning of the

New Uncle Sam , a steamboat__ formed into the gun-boat Blackhawk.

11th of February, a staff-officer visited each commandantof division and brigade with the simple verbal message:“General Grant sends his compliments, and requests to seeyou this afternoon on his boat.” Minutes of the proceedingswere not kept; there was no adjournment; each person retired when hegot ready, knowing that the march would take place next day, probablyin the forenoon.

There were in attendance on the occasion some officers of great subsequentnotability. Of these Ulysses S. Grant was first. The world knows him now;then his fame was all before him. A singularity of the volunteer service inthat day was that nobody took account of even a first-rate record of the Mex-ican War . The battle of Belmont, though indecisive, was a much better ref-erence. A story was abroad that Grant had been the last man to take boatat the end of that affair, and the addendum that he had lingered in face ofthe enemy until he was hauled aboard with the last gang-plank, did him greatgood. From the first his silence was remarkable. He knew how to keep histemper. In battle, as in camp, he went about quietly, speaking in a conver-sational tone; yet he appeared to see everything that went on, and was al-ways intent on business. He had a faithful assistant adjutant-general, andappreciated him; he preferred, however, his own eyes, word, and hand. His