Personal Memoirs - PBS

PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT
Henry numbers of the men had thrown away their blankets and
overcoats. There was therefore much discomfort and absolute suffering.
During the 12th and 13th, and until the arrival of Wallace and Thayer
on the 14th, the National forces, composed of but 15,000 men, without
intrenchments, confronted an intrenched army of 21,000, without
conflict further than what was brought on by ourselves. Only one
gunboat had arrived. There was a little skirmishing each day, brought on
by the movement of our troops in securing commanding positions; but
there was no actual fighting during this time except once, on the 13th, in
front of McClernand’s command. That general had undertaken to
capture a battery of the enemy which was annoying his men. Without
orders or authority he sent three regiments to make the assault. The
battery was in the main line of the enemy, which was defended by his
whole army present. Of course the assault was a failure, and of course
the loss on our side was great for the number of men engaged. In this
assault Colonel William Morrison fell badly wounded. Up to this time the
surgeons with the army had no difficulty in finding room in the houses
near our line for all the sick and wounded; but now hospitals were
overcrowded. Owing, however, to the energy and skill of the surgeons the
suffering was not so great as it might have been. The hospital
arrangements at Fort Donelson were as complete as it was possible to
make them, considering the inclemency of the weather and the lack of
tents, in a sparsely settled country where the houses were generally of but
one or two rooms.
On the return of Captain Phelps to Fort Henry on the 10th, I had
requested him to take the vessels that had accompanied him on his
expedition up the Tennessee, and get possession of the Cumberland as
far up towards Donelson as possible. He started without delay, taking,
however, only his own gunboat, the Carondelet, towed by the steamer
Alps. Captain Phelps arrived a few miles below Donelson on the 12th, a