The fall of Fort Donelson was the first great and valuable victory won by the Union armies during the war. When the news flashed through the loyal states, the people went wild with enthusiasm. Salutes were fired, joy bells rung, flags displayed everywhere, and the people asked one another: “Who is this Grant, and where did he come from?” Before the war closed the people found out who Grant was and what was in him.
There were others in the battle of Donelson, who, afterwards became famous. There was our gallant Illinois soldiers, Colonel John A. Logan, the “Black Eagle” of Egypt; the bluff old Colonel Richard Oglesby, both of whom became Major Generals, and after the war served in the United States Senate from the State of Illinois. Then Gen. Lew Wallace, of Indiana, the noted author of “Ben Hur,” and Colonel John A. Rawlins, of Galena, Ill., chief of staff of Gen. Grant, who, afterwards became Secretary of War under Grant, and many others.
In speaking of Colonel Oglesby, we must give you an old story about him which happened while he was in command of the 8th Illinois Regiment. One day while the regiment was in camp, two of the drum corps went into the woods to practice, and, while practicing, a nice fat pig came nosing around. The temptation to the drummers was too great; the pig was caught and slaughtered, but now the thought came to them: “How shall we get into camp without discovery.” A happy idea, “Let’s put him in the big drum.” So the head of the drum was taken off and Mr. Pig safely stowed away, and they arrived at camp. The regiment was on dress parade when they arrived at camp. The Colonel was vexed at their absence, and as soon as he saw them, sternly ordered them to take their places with the music. The drummers did not know what to do, but one of them went up to the Colonel, and, in an under tone, told him the situation, winding up with, “We ’low, Colonel, to bring the best quarter over to your mess.” The Colonel thundered out: “Sick, hey! Why didn’t you say so at first. Go to your quarters, of course. Battalion right face, to your quarters, march.” The Colonel had fresh pork for supper.
After the fall of Fort Donelson, the people of the North believed that it would be but a short time until the rebellion would be put down, and we boys could go home. Captain Johnson wrote home: “I believe it won’t be over three months now until the rebellion will be squelched and we shall be permitted to go home.”
Yes, we boys thought then that we had broken the backbone of the rebellion, and that the war would soon be over. How badly mistaken we were history proves. It was but the beginning of a terrible four years of battle and bloodshed ere the end came.
SHILOH
CHAPTER IV.
We remained in Fort Donelson for a little over two weeks. The weather was miserably wet, cold and disagreeable all the time, and the boys wondered why we didn’t move on, and were getting impatient.
“Say, Will, how long do you think we are going to stay in this miserable old hole?”
“I don’t know, Jim; but I’ll bet you a hard tack that we will be marching within three days.”