Donelson Campaign Sources Supplementing Volume 7 of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1912 Excerpt: ... ing with him, a sudden exclamation of anger or surprise called my attention to the Columbiad, which I found spiked with its own priming wire. The wire, having been too hastily inserted, was caught by the ram-home blow of the rammer, and so bent in the vent as to effectually spike the gun for that day. The Federal commander, observing the silence of the two heavy guns, renewed his advance and increased the accuracy of his fire. Two of the thirty-twos were struck almost at the same instant, and the flying fragments of the shattered guns and burst shells disabled every man at the two guns. His rifle-shot and shell penetrating the earth-works as readily as a pistol-ball would a pine plank, so disabled other guns as to leave us but four capable of service. Gen. Tilghman held a hasty consultation with Major Gilmer, Lieut. Watts, and myself. The decision reached was that continued resistance would only result in useless loss of life, and that the object of the defense being accomplished, the only thing remaining to be done was to surrender. He thereupon ordered me to strike the colors, now become a dangerous as well as painful task. The flag-staff had been struck a number of times. The topmast hung so far out of the perpendicular that it seemed likely to come down by the run at any moment. The flag-halyards had been cut, but fortunately fouled at the cross trees. Beckoning--for it was useless amidst the din to call--to Sergt. Jones, an old man-of-war man, to follow, we ran across to the flagstaff and up the lower rigging to the cross-trees, and by our united efforts and habit of manipulating ropes, succeeded in doing that which, though I fully recognized the necessity, was the most painful duty it had ever been my lot to perform--lower the flag under which I had b...