tly than on yesterday morning before going into the battle;
but I couldn't sleep last night for thinking of those poor fellows on
board the Essex," was the reply.

On Sunday morning he was at church as usual. The minister was late. The
people thought there would be no meeting, and were about to leave the
house. Commodore Foote went to one of the Elders of the church, and
urged him to conduct the worship. The Elder declined. But the Commodore
never let slip an opportunity for doing good. He was always ready to
serve his country and his God. He went into the pulpit, read a chapter,
offered a prayer, and preached a short sermon from the words,--"Let not
your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God; believe also in me." It was
an exhortation for all men to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the
Saviour of the world. Some who heard him, as they went home from church,
said that they also believed in Commodore Foote!

To him belongs the credit not only of taking Fort Henry, but of planning
the expedition. When the true history of this Rebellion is written, you
will see how important a thing it was, how great its results, and you
will admire more and more the sterling patriotism and unswerving
Christian principles of a man who struck this first great blow, and did
so much towards crushing the Rebellion.

CHAPTER V.

THE CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON.

General Grant's plan for taking Fort Donelson was, to move the first and
second divisions of his army across the country, and attack the fort in
the rear, while another division, accompanied by the gunboats, should go
up the Cumberland and attack the fort from that direction. Commodore
Foote informed the General that it was necessary to repair the gunboats
which had been injured before commencing operations; but General Grant
determined to make no delay on that account. Without fully perfecting
his arrangements, or calculating the time needed for the steamboats to
go from Fort Henry down to the Ohio and up the Cumberland, he ordered
the two divisions to march. General Lewis Wallace was left at Fort Henry
with a brigade, while six regiments of his division, the third, were
embarked on the steamboats, which sailed down the Tennessee in fine
style, turning back other boats, and all proceeded up the Cumberland.

There are steep hills, sandy plains, deep ravines, trickling brooks, and
grand old forest-trees between Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. The road
winds along the hillside