Today in History:

359 Series I Volume VII- Serial 7 - Ft. Henry-Ft. Donelson

Page 359 Chapter XVII. CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON, TENN.

Colonel Davidson's brigade: Third Regiment Mississippi Volunteers,* Lieutenant-Colonel Wells; Eighth Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Lyon; Seventh Regiment Texas Volunteers, Colonel Gregg; First Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel A. S. Hamilton.

Colonel Drake's brigade: Fourth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Major Adair; Fifteenth Regiment Arkansas Volunteers, Colonel Gee; two companies of Twenty-sixth Regiment Alabama Volunteers, Major Garvin; Tennessee Battalion, Colonel Browder.

During the progress of the defenses of Fort Donelson the following additions were made to my command, viz:

The Thirtieth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Colonel Head; Forty-second Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Colonel W. A. Quarles.

Colonel Wharton's brigade: Fifty-first Regiment Virginia Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Massie; Fifty-sixth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Major W. N. Brown.

Colonel Baldwin's brigade: Twenty-sixth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Colonel Reynolds; Twenty-sixth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Colonel Lillard.

Light artillery: Seven pieces, Captain Green; four pieces, Captain French; four pieces, Captain Guy.

On February 11, the enemy having made their appearance on the land side of our defenses and in rear of the town of Dover, our troops were ordered out by General Pillow, our line of rifle pits marked out for construction by Major Gilmer, of the Engineers, and during the night of the 12th these were brought nearly to completion and rendered quite efficient for defensive purposes. Captain Maney's and Captain Green's batteries were placed in position, and epaulements thrown up in front of them.

At dusk, on the 12th instant, I threw out pickets in front of the center of my command, on the Wynn's Ferry road, and prepared to extend the abatis at that point. My pickets and working party were immediately driven in by the enemy, and 1 man killed on the outside of the trenches and 1 inside; 1 man was also wounded on the outside who was never afterwards found, though search was immediately made for him. These were the first casualties that occurred on the left wing.

The following was the order in which the troops of the left wing were posted in the trenches, commencing on the right; 1st, Tenth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel R. W. MacGavock; 2nd, Fifty-third Regiment Volunteers, Colonel Alfred [H.] Abernathy; 3rd, battery light artillery, Captain Frank Maney; 4th, eight companies Forty-eighth Tennessee Regiment, Colonel W. M. Voorhies; 5th, eight companies Twenty-seventh Alabama, Colonel Hughes; 6th, Thirtieth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, Colonel Head; 7th, Fourth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Major Adair; 8th, four pieces light artillery, Captain French; 9th, Fifteenth Regiment Arkansas Volunteers, Colonel Gee; 10th, two companies Alabama Regiment Arkansas Battalion, Major Garvin; 11th, Tennessee Battalion, Colonel Browder; 12th, Fifty-first Regiment Virginia Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Massie; 13th, Third Regiment Mississippi Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Wells; 14th, first division Green's battery, Captain

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*This regiment was afterwards known as the Twenty-third. Colonel J. B. Deason's regiment retained its designation, "Third Mississippi."

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Page 359 Chapter XVII. CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON, TENN.