THE CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON.
421
and the 58tli Illinois on the right, and the 58th Ohio , with a detached company, on the left. The battery came np on the run and swung across the road,which had been left open for it. Hardly had it unlimbered, before the enemyappeared, and firing began. For ten minutes or thereabouts the scenes of themorning were reenacted. The Confederates struggled hard to perfect theirdeployments. The woods rang with musketry and artillery. The brush onthe slope of the hill was mowed away with bullets. A great cloud arose and
fc# 1
VIEW ON THE LINE OF PILLOW’S DEFENSES IN FRONT OF MCCLERNAND, SHOWING WATER IN THE OLD TRENCHES.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 1884.
shut out the woods and the narrow valley below* Colonel Thayer and hisregiments behaved with great gallantry, and the assailants fell back in con-fusion and returned to the intrenchments. W. H. L. Wallace and Oglesbyre-formed their commands behind Thayer, supplied them with ammunition,and stood at rest waiting for orders. There was then a lull in the battle.Even the cannonading ceased, and everybody was asking, What next ?
Just then General Grant rode up to where General McClernand and I werein conversation. He was almost unattended. In his hand there were some