Feb. 14, 1862

Feb. 14, 1862:　 THE BATTLE OF FORT DONELSON, Tennessee, Day 2 - In an attempt to repeat their success at Ft. Henry, Commodore Andrew Foote and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant agree that Foote will approach Ft. Donelson with his 4 ironclad and 3 "timberclad" gunboats and reduce the fort by cannon fire.　As Foote’s ships draw within range, he finds that the Confederate gunners at Donelson can fire at them for a long stretch of the river before the ships can get close, and that they must approach single file, due to the river’s channel.　Foote steams close, and his gunners fire too high at the fort high on the bluff.　The Rebel gunners have their range, and begin to do serious damage to the Federal ships.　The St. Louis, Foote’s flagship, is hit 59 times and is crippled, with Foote himself wounded, and drifts downstream.　The Pittsburg is also crippled and drifts downstream, in danger of sinking.　 The Carondelet is hit by 35 shots from the rebels and one shot from a Union ship.　As she drifts downstream, she collides with the Pittsburg and damages her rudder.　Foote has lost 11 killed and 40 wounded.　 He and Grant realize that taking Ft. Donelson will not be done by the Navy.　　　

Meanwhile, Grant receives 6,000 reinforcements, under the command of Gen. Lew Wallace.　As Grant places Wallace in the center of his line, the Confederates begin to realize that they are being hemmed in.　 Gen. Pillow and Gen. Floyd agree on a break-out assault.　Pillow is to deploy his division and strike at McClernand’s Federal division on the Federal right.　Buckner is to follow with his division.　 Pillow takes most of the day to form his lines, and as he is about to begin the attack, a Yankee sniper fires at him, missing and killing an infantryman near Pillow.　 Pillow is now convinced that his entire movement has been discovered by the Yankees, and he calls it off.　Floyd is enraged at Pillow’s decision.　

---Lt. Charles Wright Wills of Illinois writes home to his mother and talks about his regiment’s trials with the local pro-Secesh bushwhackers: "Here there are no forces to fight but a few hundred bushwhackers that will lie by the roadside in the swamp, and I believe they would murder Jesus Christ if they thought he was a Union man. We failed in doing what we wanted to the last trip, but I believe we’ll get even with them yet. I’d hate mightily to get killed by such a pack of murderers. . . ."