1. Fort Donelson was build on the Cumberland river.
2. Now, the great city of Nashville, the capital of Tennessee,
stands also on the Cumberland river, and it is at the distance of thirty
leagues from Fort Donelson.
4. And they built an exceeding high wall, with towers and
parapets, for their archers and slingers, and they dug a ditch very deep.
5. Then said they one to another, we are safe in this fort, for
the Yankees can never take us.
6. Now Jefferson had sent Gideon to command at Fort Donelson, and
Gideon had many legions with him;
7. And he had chosen men, who were mighty in battle, expert with
the bow, and with the lance, and battle axe.
8. When Ulysses had taken Fort Henry, he said, I will capture
Fort Donelson also, then can I advance to Nashville, the great "city
of Rocks."
9. And Ulysses made ready to go forth against Donelson. He
had a very great army, so many were they in number, that no man could
count them;
10. And he had gunboats and transports, and might guns, and
battering rams, and other engines of war.
11. And he ascended the Cumberland river, and when he had drawn
nigh to Fort Donelson, he caused the boats to halt, and some of his men he
sent out on the land, and some remained on the boats.
12. And he prepared to attack Gideon on all sides, both by land
and water.
13. And they joined battle, and there was great slaughter, for
many of the forces of Ulysses fell, and many rebels also fell in battle.
14. And the battle lasted until the going down of the sun, and
neither side would yield.
15. And on the morrow, at the early dawn, the battle was renewed,
and it raged all that day, for the men were valiant on both sides.
16. And when the sun was set the battle ceased, but the scene was
mournful to behold, for the dead lay over all the ground, and the blood of
the slain ran in rivulets.
17. When darkness covered the land, then communed Gideon with his
men of war, and his two chiefs, Buckner and Floyd, counseled him to sue
for peace, lets the men should all perish.
18. But Gideon would not sure for peace, saying that he would not
come alive into the hands of Ulysses.
19. Then Buckner the chief, a man of great discretion and valor,
said, I pray thee, O Gideon, that thou wouldst hear me in behalf of my
men.
20. And Gideon beckoned to him with his hand, to speak on.
21. And Buckner said, it is known to all here present, that I
entreated the people of Kentucky, to engage in this war, and they
consented, and joined my legion, and gave me their young men and their
sons.
22. And these are now with me, and they are food men and
brave. Now, if battle be waged again tomorrow, these must perish by
the sword;
23. For Ulysses is receiving fresh troops every hour, and he has
already as many men as we, so that we cannot resist him.
24. But, if we will surrender, then will Ulysses spare the lives
of the men.
25. Then Gideon lifted up his voice and said, I have vowed never
to surrender to a Yankee; but as to thyself and those under they command,
thou art permitted to do as seemeth good in thy sight.
26. And Gideon and some of his chief Captains arose a great while
before day. and escaped from Fort Donelson, and fled to Nashville.
27. And When it was day. Gen. Buckner sent a flag of truce to
Ulysses, and asked a conference.
28. And Ulysses held a conference with him, and received his army
in surrender.
29. And the number of prisoners which Ulysses received was very
great. And Fort Donelson with its munitions of war and great guns
came into the hands of Ulysses and the Federals.
CHAPTER XXII
Surrender of Nashville
1. Now, when it was noised aboard at Nashville, that
Donelson had fallen, there was no small stir among the people;
2. For they said, our city must fall into the hands
of teh enemy. And many of them arose and fled from the city.
3. And there was one Sydney, a man of war, among the
Confederates, and he was a General, and had a great army with him, and had
been stationed at Bowling Green many months.
4. But when Sydney knew that Fort Donelson had
fallen into the hands of Ulysses, he said, we must get hence, or the
Federals will bag us all.
5. And he fled with his army and passed through
Nashville, and destroyed bridges, and spread great alarm throughout all
the land.
6. Then came certain messengers to Ulysses, from
Abraham, saying, go thou up the Tennessee river, and drive away that
haughty rebel Braxton, whose surname is Bragg.
7. For Braxton had joined himself to Beauregard, and
they had a great army at Corinth.
8. And Abraham sent Buell, a very gallant
chief, with a great army, to seize Nashville, the capital of Tennessee.
9. And when he was yet a great way off from the
city, messengers came to the city, saying that they would surrender the
city into his hands, without any bloodshed.
10. And the Federals marched into Nashville and took
possession thereof, and found there much bread, and stores of meet, and
arms without number, which the rebels could not carry with them.
11. And Isham, the Governor of Tennessee fled from
Nashville, and carried with him the parchments, and the sacred books, and
all the silver and gold he could find.
12. And he came unto Memphis, and told the people
there what things had befallen Nashville.
13. And the people of Memphis were sore vexed, and
they rent their clothes, and sat in sackcloth and ashes, and refused to be
comforted.
14. For they feared that the same destiny was
awaiting their own city.
CHAPTER XXIII
Battle of Shiloh
1. And it came to pass after Ulysses had taken Fort Donelson,
that he ascended the Tennessee river, determined to fight a great battle
with Beauregard and Bragg.
2. Now, these rebel chief had collected a mighty army at Corinth,
which is a town in the tribe of Mississippi, in the Northern part thereof.
3. Two great roads of iron had been made to cross at this place,
and, besides, Corinth is about six leagues to the South of Pittsburg
Landing, a place on the Tennessee River.
4. Ulysses directed his gunboats, and iron-clads, and transports
to Pittsburg Landing, and soon his vast army had arrived at that place.
5. Now, Buell, the great Federal Chief, after he had captured
Nashville, left a force there and marched so to make further conquests;
and when Ulysses had heard that Beauregard was at Corinth with a great
army,
6. He sent word to Gen. Buell to come and join himself unto him,
to give Beauregard battle with their united forces.
7. And certain came to Beauregard, and told him this, and he
determined to give Ulysses battle without delay, before the other General
could come unto him.
8. And it was in the month of April, and in the early part
thereof, about the time the birds do choose their mates, and the flowers
in the balmy South do burst forth into beauty and loveliness, that these
things came to pass.
9. An Beauregard, in the self-same month, and on the sixth day
thereof, at the dawn of day marched forth is legions, and gave the sign of
battle.
10 An Ulysses went forth to meet him, an a mighty battle
commenced; for they had great engines of war, and battering rams.
11. And the battle raged with great fury; for it seemed as if the
solid earth would rend assunder, and the elements above had come in
collision
12. Never since men first began to dwell upon the face of the
earth, had any seen the like, man slaying his fellow-man, and even one
brother slaying another.
13. The earth was drenched in human gore, and the blood ran in
rivulets, and the dead lay in heaps over all the land.
14. And the battle continued all the day even until the going
down of the sun.
15. And when the night was come, and it was dark, the voice of
lamentation, mingled with groans, was heard; for there were many wounded
and dying.
16. Many are the orphans and widows that were made such on that
day; for many fathers and husbands, as well as brothers and sons, were
fated to gladden the social circle with their presence no more.
17. O that men would cease to study the rude arts of war, and
that the nations might be at peace.
CHAPTER XXIV
Battle of Shiloh. -- (continued.)
1. Now it came to pass when it was night. Gen. Buell
was come with his legions. and Ulysses greeted him kindly.
2. And when the day dawned they united their forces,
and the battle again commenced.
3. And the rebels were brave and determined, and
fought till the second hour in the evening.
4. But the Federals were so many, and they were
brave, so that they pressed upon the rebels greatly.
5. And they slew Sydney, whose surname is Johnson,
one of the chiefs of the rebels.
6. And when the rebels knew that Sydney, their
chief, was dead, they were greatly dejected, and began to retreat.
7. Then Ulysses commanded his men to pursue them
retreating, and they pursued them, and slew great numbers of them.
8. And when the sun was down, the rebels were all
gone from the battle field save the dead and wounded, and Ulysses had
gained a great victory.
9. But many were slain on both sides, and very many
were led away captives.
10. And Ulysses remained many days at Pittsburg
Landing, and buried the dead, and gave aid to those who had received
wounds.
11. Meanwhile Beauregard and Braxton were at
Corinth, and they made great fortifications there, and awaited the coming
of Ulysses.
12. And after some days, Ulysses marched his army
toward the South, and pitched his camps hard by the outer walls of the
rebel fortifications.
13. And many were the skirmishes that took place,
and many were the men who fell in them.
14. For neither Braxton nor Ulysses would make a
general attack, but sought to find some advantage.
15. And the Federals sent great reinforcements to
Ulysses, and he began to besiege Corinth.
16. When Braxton and Beauregard had perceived this, they
marched forth quietly by night, and withdrew toward the South.
17. And Ulysses did not know that the rebels were
retreating until they were all gone.
18. And he was sore vexed because of this thing.
CHAPTER XXV
Capture of New Orleans.
1. New Orleans was a mighty city. It stood on
the coast of the great river, even the Mississippi, not far from the sea.
2. The merchants of New Orleans were as princes, for they dwelt
in houses built of stone and marble, ornamented with brass, and gold, and
silver, and precious stones.
3. And ships came to the city from all parts of the world,
bringing corn, and wine, and silk, and all costly merchandize.
4. And the people of the city were cunning in all kinds of work,
such as carving in stone, and iron and brass. And they made books,
and images, and garments, and sent them into all the parts of the earth.
5. And people of all languages, from all the tribes, and kindreds
upon the face of the whole earth, came unto the city.
6. And there were the mighty ships that came across the deep and
wide sea, and the great steamboats that ply the Mississippi river, and the
stern wheelers that paddle along the smaller rivers, and innumerable
flat-boats from up the country.
7. And no city in the world, was equal unto it for cotton; for it
came down the great river, and down the Arkansas, and Red River.
8.
And ships came from England, and France and from all parts of the world,
to carry cotton away with them.
9. And the city was filled with
oranges, and figs, and pomegranates, and pea-cans, and ginger, and spice,
and parched corn.
10. Now, when the other Southern States seceded,
Louisiana seceded also, and New Orleans was rank for secession.
11.
And when the war began, it sent to Jefferson, a thousand pounds weight of
gold, and a ton of silver, and darts and javelins without number.
12.
And certain messengers went from the city to Jefferson saying, Live,
forever! O Jefferson; thou hast but to command, and we will every
man obey!
13. Then were forts built upon the river below New
Orleans, to keep the Federal gunboats away from the city.
14. And
mighty guns and huge mortars were mounted, and many men were put in the
forts.
15. Now runners came to Abraham, and knelt down in his
presence, and told him of all these things.
16. Then was Abraham's
wrath kindled, and he sent his armies to go by way of the sea, and to pull
down the forts that the rebels had built, and to capture the great city.
17.
And there was great commotion among the people, for they knew that the
rebels would fight, and that there would be great carnage.
18. And
Abraham's ships and gunboats being filled with armed men, and great guns
and swords, and spears, ascended the great river;
19. And when
they were come to the forts, the rebels fired upon them, and they fixed
upon the rebels, and there was a great battle.
20. And many of the
Federals and of the rebels were slain, and there was much bloodshed.
21.
And the contest lasted many days, but the strength of the rebels began to
fail.
22. Then did the Federals press more vehemently, and they
beat down the forts and burnt all the towers, and captured all the men
that were within.
23. And the gunboats passed up the river, even
to the city, and demanded that the whole city of New Orleans, surnamed the
"Crescent City," be surrendered to the Federals.
24. And
the city was surrendered, and all its stores, and treasures of gold and
silver, and wine and costly drink, and cups of gold, and curious vessels
of wood, and stone, and brass, came into the hands of the Federals.
25.
And Abraham sent General Butler to rule over the city
26. And Gen.
Butler set up flags with the Stars and Stripes in the markets and public
places, and commanded that all the men in the city, should reverence the
flag.
27. Now, there were some there that hated Abraham and the
old flag, and they would not reverence the flag.
28. Then sent the
commanding General and seized these disobedient citizens, and spoiled
their houses, and cast them into prison.
