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THE CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON.

conduct. He sent an aide to the nearest telegraph station with a dispatch toAlbert Sidney Johnston , then in command of the Department, asseverating,“ on the honor of a soldier,” that the day was theirs. Nor did he stop at that.The victory, to be available, required that the enemy should be followed withenergy. Such was a habit of Napoleon . Without deigning even to consulthis chief, he ordered Buckner to move out and attack the Federals. Therewas a gorge, up which a road ran toward our central position, or rather whathad been our central position. Pointing to the gorge and the road, he toldBuckner that was his way and bade him attack in force. There was nothingto do but obey; and when Buckner had begun the movement, the wise pro-gramme decided upon the evening before was wiped from the slate.

When Buckner reluctantly took the gorge road marked out for him byPillow, the whole Confederate army, save the detachments on the works, wasvirtually in pursuit of McClernand , retiring by the Wynn’s Ferry road —falling back, in fact, upon my position. My division was now to feel theweight of Pillow’s hand; if they should fail, the fortunes of the day woulddepend upon the veteran Smith.

When General McClernand perceived the peril threatening him in themorning, he sent an officer to me with a request for assistance. This requestI referred to General Grant, who was at the time in consultation with Foote.Upon the turning of Oglesby’s flank, McClernand repeated his request, withsuch a representation of the situation that, assuming the responsibility, Iordered Colonel Cruft to report with his brigade to McClernand . Cruft setout promptly. Unfortunately a guide misdirected him, so that he becameinvolved in the retreat, and was prevented from accomplishing his object.

I was in the rear of my single remaining brigade, in conversation withCaptain Rawlins, of Grant’s staff, when a great shouting was heard behindme on the Wynn’s Ferry road, whereupon I sent an orderly to ascertain thecause. The man reported the road and woods full of soldiers apparently inrout. An officer then rode by at full speed, shouting, “All’s lost! Save your-selves ! ” A hurried consultation was had with Rawlins, at the end of whichthe brigade was put in motion toward the enemy’s works, on the very roadby which Buckner was pursuing under Pillow’s mischievous order. It hap-pened also that Colonel W. H. L. Wallace had dropped into the same roadwith such of his command as staid by their colors. He came up riding andat a walk, his leg over the horn of his saddle. He Avas perfectly cool, andlooked like a farmer from a hard day’s plowing. “ Good-morning,” I said.“ Good-morning,” was the reply. “Are they pursuing you?” “Yes.” “Howfar are they behind ? ” That instant the head of my command appeared onthe road. The colonel calculated, then answered: “You will have abouttime to form line of battle right here.” “ Thank you. Good-day.” “ Good-day.”

At that point the road began to dip into the gorge; on the right and leftthere were woods, and in front a dense thicket. An order was dispatched tobring Battery A forward at full speed. Colonel John M. Thayer , command-ing the brigade, formed it on the double-quick into line; the 1st Nebraska