guns, to escape the fearful storm of grape and canister which they
knew would soon sweep over them. Fifty-four were killed and wounded in
this attack.

At night Commodore Foote sat in the cabin of the St. Louis and wrote a
letter to a friend. His wound was painful, but he thought not of his own
sufferings. He frequently asked how the wounded men were getting along,
and directed the surgeons to do everything possible for their comfort.
This is what he wrote to his friend:--

"While I hope ever to rely on Him who controls all things,
and to say from my heart, 'Not unto us, but unto thee, O
Lord, belongs the glory,' yet I feel bad at the result of our
attack on Fort Donelson. To see brave officers and men, who
say they will go where I lead them, fall by my side, it makes
me sad to lead them to almost certain death."

So passed Friday. The gunboats were disabled. No impression had been
made on the fort. General Grant determined to place his army in position
on the hills surrounding the fort, throw up intrenchments, and wait till
the gunboats could be repaired. Then there would be a combined attack,
by water and by land, which he hoped would reduce the place.

On Friday evening there was a council of war at General Floyd's
head-quarters in the town. General Buckner, General Johnson, General
Pillow, Colonel Baldwin, Colonel Wharton, and other commanders of
brigades were present. General Floyd said that he was satisfied that
General Grant would not renew the attack till the gunboats were
repaired, and till he had received reinforcements. He thought that the
whole available force of Union troops would be hurried up by steamboat
from St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Cairo; and that when they arrived a
division would be marched up the river towards Clarksville, above Dover,
and that they in the fort would be starved out and forced to surrender
without a battle. It was very good and correct reasoning on the part of
General Floyd, who did not care to be taken prisoner after he had stolen
so much public property. It was just what General Grant intended to do.
He knew that by such a course the fort would be obliged to surrender,
and he would save the lives of his men.

General Floyd proposed to attack General Grant at daylight on Saturday
morning, by throwing one half of the Rebel army, under Pillow and
Johnson, upon McClernand's division. By making the attack then in
overwhelming force, he felt pretty sure he