BEDFORD INQUIRER. BEDFORD, Pa. Friday Muriitug. Feb 28, 1862. "FEARLESS AND FREE." —rr~~: —.T~T r~: —: r ■'? . . r l>. OVER-Editor and Proprietor. '■fc- - I I I I " _ _ Z3Z5$ ? ?} 5 To all whom it miy Concera. We hare a good deal of money t pay the com ing spring, and jttdgirtg th* future by the past, we do not roni ier it worth while to send om accounts.— IV wi'l therefore bora this time forth ptacs our ac c-.uttts that are <>v<-r two years >ld, in the hands of • Justice, in Fedford, Wcollection. So look out, take warning, and don't get mad for wo intend to commence thin week. We intend, also, to ttike "It our list all worthless snhscribers; they arj the drones that keep printers down. The following article from too Ha rrtsbtirg T/e irsi!l in the winter solstice. Its effeot upon our troops ws excellent. Enthusiastic and eager to meet the enemy SDV time, tbey I left their camps, which uiany of them were destiued never again to see, with a cheerful ness and buoyancy of spirit# which would load ignorant spectators to suppose that soino gala day entertainment was at hand. t Most of Gen. McClercand's division had crossed the slough of despoud which encircles Fort Henry, the afternoon before. General Smith's division began their transit across Ibe river at a seasonable hour, snd at nine o'clock the entire army, about 18.000 strong, wero ou the move to the eastward. The character .of the movement of the army from Foit Ilenry will probablj be best understood by the fol lowing order of the night previous: HJSALQUABTERS, DISTRICT OF CAIRO, ') FORT HENRY, Term., F,b. 11, 1862. ( [General field Orders, ~\B. 12 ] The troops designated in General Field Or ders, No. 9, will move to-morrow, as speedily as possible, iu the following ordei: One brigade of the first division will move hy the Telegraph Kosd directly upon Fort Doneisou, baiting for further order# at a dis tance of two miles from the fort. The other brigades of the first division will nioyo by the Dover Ridge road, and halt at the same dis tance from the fort, agd throw out troops so as to form a continuous line between the two wings. The two brigades of the seoood division now at Foit Henry, will follow as rapidly as prac ticable by the Dover road, and will be follow* ed by the troops from Fort Helman as fast as they can be ferried across the river. One brigade of the seoond division should be throwu into Dover to cut off all retreat l-y the river, if found practicable to do so. The force of the enemy being so variously reported, it is impossible to giro exet details of attack, but the necessary orders will be given cn the field. By order of Brigadier-Goneral U. S. Grant, commanding. JOSHUA RAWLINS, A. A. G. PKPARTCAB OF GEN. GRANT. The army btiog well started, Gen. Grant and staff left their headquarters on the steam er Uncle Sum, about ten o'clock, aud followed rapidly after a division which had taken the ridge, or more southerly route. The road 9, after once getting beyoud the low grounds in the immediate vicinity of the fort, were admi rable. The sandy soil had soon absorbed the great amount of tain which had fallen a few evdoiog* previously and which had so retarded tho aavauce of our army cn Fort Henry—and now fairly on the high land, infantry, artillery and cavalry moved forward without delay. FROM FORT HENRY TO THE ENEMY. Toe route for the mist part led along the high laDd of the ridge, through densely wood ed country, with sign? n f a butnaa habitation, or even of cultivation, but rarely visible. 1 might here state that all of the section between Fort Henry and Donelson is of this charao'er— a mere succession of hills and valleys, thiokly wooded with oak and "seaond growth," and with hero and there a cluster of pine gro\6s, whose evergreens contrasted with the barren vegetation surrounding. The ridges vary from one hundred to three hundred tVet la bight. Through most of the valleys are pure streams of water, which, as they approach the Tennessee aDd Cumberland, to which tbey are tributaries, gradually assume, on aooount of back water from them, the magnitude of large streams, which iD no small degree sunoyed our Generals in their maneuvering of their eomtuands We pressed on amid the moving eolutnns which lined the road without any incident worthy of special note, until one o'clock, whan cuiergiug from the woods into a little clearoi valley, we found Gen. McGleruand aud staff. Several regiments were drawn up IB line of battle order on our right, and through the val ley and up to the ridge, in frout and to the northeast of us; we could see the gleaming of the bayonets of Oglesby's brigade, our advance. THE EN KM Y. Receiving information that the enemy had been seen on the ridge in front of us, General Grant iiumrdiately orderod the bills to be oc cupied by our forces moving in line of battle order. It was finely executed—the men push ing even front through the brush, over brooks and fences, until (be desired point had beeu reached. la the meantime, while this order was beiog carried out, sharp musketry tiring was heard up the hill over which the road led, and occu pied by Gen. Oglesby's Brigade. It was but brief, however, aud upou going forward it was i usoertained that a small advance force of the j enexny had been met by the Eighth Illinois,! uDder Lieut. (_ jlonel Frank Rhodes, aud af ter a slight skirmish, driven back with a loss <>f a few killed and wounded on their side j t-d 'cor wounded of the Eighth, who were - now being promptly attended to by the sur geous. The Eighth, Thirtieth snd Thirty-first Uli- j noL were-drawn op cn the road in line of bat- 1 BEBFOEB IBiaBIEER. tie, aud iu the front Capt. Sekwartt bad got a couple of bis guns in position, ready for any emergency. Gen. Gr aut here gave orders for a still further advance to the next ridge North and left of u->, and then returned to the for , thor advance of the brigades behind. Ketro i grading to tbe open field, Gen, Smith waa met, who stated that his division was cloae behind, and would soon be op to support any advance ( which might be made. ! A CAMP OF aHE ENEMY LISCOVERKI). |, After considerable soouring of tbe woods to ; the north, it was discovered that what rebels were to be seen were on the road to the front of us. Our advance soon after discovered their encampment on * barren hillside, direct | iy in front of us, and on the uiain road lead ing to tbe Cnmberland. A further movement on the part of Gen. Ogleaby'a division disco vered more forces poited on a high ridge lead ing west of this encampment, and as our regi i meets swept around from their respective po - 1 aitions on the road to tbe right and left, and gradually coming round with a face to the north, there we were face to face with the ene my. This, however, was not discovered in stantly. The encampment of tbe enemy very naturally was the chief point of attraction, and towards it, having got his Loops in proper position, Gen. Grant first directed his attention. But few troops were visible about it, and at first it was difficult to ascertain where the re bel force* had been distributed. Oae of tuo | 12-pound rifled James' cannon of Dupee's j battery, was ordered to atir theui up a little, i but although he threw a shell with snub accu racy, not a response oould be got, and were it not for indication# of a large force posted on tbe ridge to the west of the camp, it would have seemed their chivalry had repeated their Fort Henry achievement, and had decamped on nur approach. Thua were matters at baif past three o'olock, P. M., when Uglesby's brigade, which occupied the road ou the bill, were ordered to advance. Tbey filed douw the bill, anticipating an immediate opening of the fight, with a determination and confidence most inspiriting. Soino waro still smoking their pipes with easy nonchalance, while ail went forward with a spirit and will which well foreshadowed the gallant deeds subsequently performed by them. Tho Eighteenth, Eighth, and Thirtieth reselling the bottom of the hill, 1 filed out into an open field to the lefr, aud formed iu line of battle. Other regiments went on the ridge still farther to the west. THURSDAY'S OPERATIONS. Thursday opened & dear and acreoe as the day beforo it. Upon the first coming of the dawn cur pkirinishcrs had descended into the vsiley, and our artiilery, posted on the bills, had opened an experimental fire, which being occasionally returned by the enemy, gave us turns information in regard to tha position of their batteries. The night before we were in possession of but little information in regard to the character of their fortifioatioDs, and al though it was generally supposed we were in front of some rather formidable works, I do not think even our Generals were prepared for the disclosures whioh the operations of the morning bad made- known to them. Instead of an outer work to temporarily impede our approaeh, it was aoon ascertained that we were directly in front the resr of the fortifi cation of the fort itself. These works begin ning or. the Cumberland, at the southerly side of Dover, and the main fort ran around on tho top of the high ridges before us to the head of the back-water on the north, here and there with bastion works of a formidable character, and at all points with formidable batteries sweeping the more available approaches.— These ridges vary frona one hundred sod fifty to three hundred feot in height, and are cov ered with the most dense timber and under growth, oonocaling in a great measure the cha racter of the enemy's defences, the few balls which tbey were induced to occasionally favor us with, afforded, for the most part, our only clue as to the ealibre of their guns. During the night previous, Gen. Oglosby, in advancing along the ridge running toward the river above the fort, and which formed car right wing, suddenly cmuo upon a battery swaeping the road upon whioh he was advan cing. The enemy, either oot aware at the time of the vicinity of the force, or wishiug it to advance still further, refraiued from open tog, and tbo General managed to withdraw his men without suffering anything worse than a bad scare. If the battery had given them the contents of their guns, the fire must have decimated tha eutire brigade. Soma few guns were discharged by our men in tbo confusion of the moment, and the horse of a certaiu obaplain became frightened and began a Sight, whioh bid fair to land the non-combatant plump over the batteries. A few agonizing "whoaa" and still more emphatic pull?, how ever, checked the rebellious tendencies of the beast, and the parson, I noticed, esuhewed horses ever after. This morning, Gea. O.'s brigado forced the enemy from this position, and subsequently from another, and advanced the right wing still farther towards the river. A subsequent movement completed the lines of eircutnvalla tion nearly to the river itself, aDd gave us a position rendering the arrival of any more re inforcements from Nashville hardly probable. OPERATIONS OP BIRGE'B SHARPSHOOTERS. In the meantime Birge's Sharpshooters were doing good execution both to the right and left of this position. In squads of skirmish ers they crawled up the ravines, of the ridge on which the batteries and tbe rifle-pits of the eneiuy were looated, and lying ooncealed be hind stumps and logs, woe to tbe unwary rebel who dared to show his head above the entrench ments. Tbe continual crack of the Dimick rifle could be heard from these ravines all day, and at last became a perfect terror to tbe enemy. Lying in this position, these men for half a day completely silenced tbe battery whioh covered the road over which tbe Seventh had advanced in tbe morning. In vain attempt after attempt was made to man the guns, but hardly had the gunners grasped their swabs ere a score of bullets would drop them in their tracks. The enemy were uot without tboir sharpshooters, too, who would in turn attempt a response, but so vigilant were the Birgos, that but few of their bullets did much harm. I have beard of but eight or ten casualties in tbe entire regiuaeut. Thus pased Thursday morning. General McClernand's gradually closing in toward the river on the right, and Gen. Smith slowly and surely completing his line of cirouiuvaliation eu tbe left. [PTOBMING THE ENEMY'S REIKILBTS ON TU* IIIQHT. Iu the atferuoou Gcu. MuCleruaud deter mined to Ui*kc u terminable assault ola re , uc-übi ot the tunny In uliug about tbe centre [ot Lia ngbt wing. Tb redoubt *w about the only oue atncti could be distinctly seen by u, owing to the t.moer auu uudorgrowth. At | it.i point the gruuud was (or lire must part vciu ot iaige tiuiOei, the barreu cxteuuitg tveu tejoDu the road oa the ridge over whiob : our troo| e pjn.-eo. 'lbe batteries ou this ro oooLt hau got a very perfect range hers, and gave our troops considerable uneaaiuoss by bia sing away at them whenever tbey passed over the brow of the hill. Three regiments were detailed for the work—the Forty-eighth, Sev enteenth &ud Foity-nuiih Illinois. They ad vanced in line of battle order, the Forty-ninth, Col. Morrison, ou the right, the Seventeenth, under command of Major Smith, (both Colo nel and Lent. Colonel being absent,) in the ceutre, and the Forty-eighth, Col. Haiuey, on the left. Cel. Mormon, aa senior Colonel, led tHe attack. The advance was a most beau tiful one. With skirmishers advanced iu frout, the three regiments swept down the hill, over a knoll, down a raviue, and up a high hill ou which the redoubt was situated, some 250 or 300 feet iu bight, covered with brush aud stomps, ail the time receiving a galling tire of grwpe, shell and musketry, with a pre otsion wtueU would have done ibeui credit on the parade giouud. The breastworks were uearly reaahed, when Col. Morrison, who was gullautly Icauiug ou his uieu, was struck by a musket halt. The captain of the company on nis light also fell, ana tle Forty-uiuth fell in to some confusion; but unparalleled, the Sev enteenth still gallantly prcfsed forward ana pcueirateU even to the very foot 0 f the works, iiut it was not iu it,e power of niau to acale the abaitio .before ihem. iitush piled upon brush, witu sharp points fronting them every where, mtt lutu. wucrevcrthey lumt-d; and so, after a lew lntereuanges of musketry wuii the ewai uiiug regimcuts wuich had been conctutra ted here, tue oider for retiriug was givcu. It was done in good oider by filing off to the mtt, and ohlitjuing into the woods below; Lot uiauy a gallant soldier was lelt behiud uodei noath the eotienehmcnts they had vainly sought to mouut. J hey were not, however, destined to die uuavenged. Scarcely had our retiriug columns got out oi' range, ere Tayior's Chica go battery opened on the swaimiug rvhel uiab ses with sheil and shrapnel, with fearful effect Every guu was aimed by the Captain himself, and every one of them did honor to hit ru.uk uiauship. A SORTIE ON THE LETT. About the sauio time that these stirring scenes wore being enacted on our right wing, the enemy made a furmidabio soma ou our left. The Twenty fifth Indiana, one of the regiments of Gea. Smith's division, having at one time during the course of the day got iu to an exposed positiou, the enemy promptly • vailed themselves of ths opportunity afforded them, aud made a most formidable sortie from their cntreuch.'u.'ots. Although taken at a disadvantage, the Tweoty-fitth tuet the advanc ing forces bravely, and although suffering se verity, with the aid of other regiments, which promptly proceeded to their assistance, drove them tuck to tLair biding piaces. The les son seemed to be most salutary. No further sorties were uiide iu this direction. THE FLEET. During the day much uneasiness was felt as to tLe whereabouts of the gun-boat fleet.— it was, therefore, with no little gratification that information was at last received about ooon on Thursday, tint the avaot courier of j the flier, the Caroudoict, Lieutenant Walker, j bad arrived below the fort. In the afternoon the report of her guua was received with cheer upon chcirby the troops encircling the be* ieugurei fort. Lieutenant Walker's operations this after noon, although partaking more of the nature of a recoonoissance, were considered by the rebel officers, as I have since ascertained, as one of the most formidable attacks they had to eucouoter. Hidden behind a jutting prom ontory of the river bank, the (Joroudolet itself secure from the heavier shots of the ooluuibi-. ads of the fort, hurled shell upon shell into the water batteries of the fortifications. The commander of these batteries has recently in formed uie that the fire of the Uorondolct did muie actual damaga to bis guns than the heavy buiahardmcut following the succeeding day. THURSDAY NIGUT. The night of Thursday will long be remetu bered by the troops surrounding Dooclson. The weather, which for the two previous days had been so mild and genial, toward the close of the afternoon became chilly and loweriog. About six o'clock a heavy rain set in. Dur* ing the warmth of the day before, when mo mentarily expecting to meet the enemy, whole regiments bad oast aside their overcoats and blankets, and without tents, and, in the great majority of cases, occupying positions render ing a fire a sure mark for the enemy's batte ries, with nothing to eat but oold rations, their condition was deplorable indeed. - To add to their disoomfort, when thoroughly saturated witb rain, a pelting snow storm set in, with an enemy iD front continually annoy ing and annoyed, but little sleep wus indulged in. The only demonstration of importance on the part of the rebels, during the night, was a formidable attempt on the rijjht wing to ob tain Taylor's Battery. Tbe Twentientb Indi ana, lying in the woods below it, however, af ter a brisk skirmish in tbe midnight darkness, sent the intruders baok to their fortifieatious again. FRIDAY. The weather of Friday was iu striking cooa trasl to that of the morning previous. Tbe ground was oovored with snow to the depth of a oouple of iuebes, and a breeze that would have done honor to the Artie rcgious, swept across the desolate ridge upon whiob our ar my was lying. Th inhabitants of the coun try roundabout averred that they had rarely experienced o severe a day. Still was our foroe on the outer edge of the formidable works, that wander where one might, be was sure.te find rising before him. Tbs entrance to these works were still to be gained—the lo cation even of the door still was to be fouud . 1 must admit, that riding along our lines on Friday again, and witnessing the formidable field works of the enemy (between five and six miles in extent), which reared themselves everywhere to the front of or, i feared that ibe task of reducing thetn would be at the best a matter of considerable time. Bat, cold and hungry, and with garments stiff with frost, the aoldiare were .-till hopeful and firm. 1 did not find a single discouraged man, or eoe, if he werp ao, who would admit it. The univer sal sentiment was, ac bluff Col. Ogiesby ex pressed it. "We came here to take that fort, and we will take it," and it is this eelf-eame spirit of dogged determination, and steady, long enduring courage, peculiar to the Anglo Saxon of the North, that at last outwore tba perhaps moro impetuous bravery of the oppos ing force. Nothing of especial note transpired along the lines on Friday. The sharpshooters not withstanding the cold,enscoused themselves in their old positions or the hillsides, and were as great a terror as ever to the gunners of the batteries above them. Caveoder, Taylor, Woods, (of MeAliater'a battel y), Dresser aud Swartz would occasionally exchange a valen tine, as tbey were playfully called, but there were DO such bloody affairs as bad cbarftter iaed the operations uf the day previous. The batteries, too, had got the range of one anoth er's positions so accurately, that I imagined both parties had preferred, in absence of any positive orders to the contrary, to linger beside the camp are, juit out of range of the other's guus, than to indulge in idle badinage. ARRIVAL Of REINFORCEMENTS—THE GUN BOAT ATTACK. The long expected gun-boat fleet, together with the reinforcements, had, however, come to baud, and it exacted that the latter could be brought up, so as to j >in witu in other forces as u general assault in the rr, j while the gun-boats itt-okoJ in front. Toe oisianco from thd river to the left of our right wing was, however, so great, that but few reg iments arrived even before dirk. Gen. Grant's judgment, therefore, much against his will, led him to adjourn the assault until he bad ail his available force iu proper po-itioß. Tbo bombardment of the gun-bo.t fl et be gun about half-past two, and continued two hours. Pour of the iron-clad and twu of the wooden boats participated iu the fight, which was of a fearful nature. Expecting me assault on tho rear nf the .'ort, I was urn present to witness the naval attack, and shall upt attempt therefore, to give any detailed account of it. It is however, described by the officers eogag cd iu it, as altogether exceeding iu fierceuess the bombardment of Fort Henry. At all events the effect upon the boats was much more severe, and subsequent investigations have led me to believe that the injury inflicted on the rebels waa not so great either as at the fortifications. This Utter is, probably, j owing to the fact that the twelve guns of the fort commanding the river were at a consider able elevation, and it therefore was much more difficult for the naval gunners ti get their exact range, or one obtained to keep it, while the boats were stcadiiy advancing. EATUBDAV. Saturday, which was destined to witness tbo grand denouement of the tragedies which nad a scene about Doneleon, was cold, damp aud cheerless. Our troops, however, had but little time to cogitate upon the weath er, or any other subject, ere tbey were called upon to attend to more setious matters. The •uemy during the uigiit, had iransferted sev eral ut then batteries to portions of fbeir works within a few hundred teet of which our extreme right wing was retting. L'pou the first oouiiug of dawn these batteries suddenly opened on the Ninth, Eighteenth, Twenty ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first iiegiuieuts, comprising Ogiesby's Brigade, and who hau tbe advance. Simultaneously with the open* tug of the batteries, a force ot about 12,000 infantry and a regiment of cavalry, was hur ried against tno Brigade with a vigor which, made against less stoady aud well disciplined troops, must surely have resulted in their en tire demolition. Sudden and unexpected as was the sail; on the pirt ot lee enemy, it aid not find the gal lant IliiuuiuGs unprepared to meet them. Tue attack was made tu columns of regtmeute, which poured iu upou the little bupd troiu no less than three different directions. .Every regiment of the brigade found iueif opposed to three, and in niny cases to no less thau four different; regiments. Undismayed, how ever, by tbe greatly superior force of the en emy, and unsupported oj adequate aitiilery, the brigade not outy held their own, but upon two occasions actually drove tbe rebels fairly iulo their entrenchments, but only to be press ed back again into their former position, until at last, having expended every round of their ammunition, they wero obliged to retire and give way to tho advancing regiments of Col. VV. U. L. Wallace's brigade of the eleventh Twentieth, Seventeenth, Forty-fitth, Forty eigbtb Illinois, and Forty-ninth Indiana reg* lmeots. The battle, for the most part, was fought in a forest, with a thick undergrowth beneath, and regiments acted mostly on the principle of hiltiog a bead wherever it could be found. Swat miug on all sides of them, thsy were uot at a loss to fiud them. One regiment was on ly driveu from betore them when another sprung up to take its place, and there is hard ly a regiment of the foroe engaged but was opposed to tripple its numbers. Thus went the tide of battle for five hours—now gaining a little, hut upon the whole obliged to retire. Officers and men dropped upon all sides. Field offioers were borne, killed and wounded from the field, and their next iu oooiiy took their place and continued the fight.— Lieutenant-Colonel White of the Thirty-first, Lieutenant-Colonel Smith of the Forty-eighth, Lieutenant-Colonel lrvin of the Twentieth, and Major Post of tho Eighth Illinois, and scores of company officers were all killed, gal lantly leading on their men. And still with uoyielding courage the gal lant lilinoisians and Indiauiaus would not ac knowledge themselves vanquished. When tbe last cartridge had beta expended, and orders were given to retire for other regimenta to take their place, soldiers, grim with smoke and powder, would angrily inquire for what, and beg to be allowed to use the bayonet.— But it was not in the power of mortal men, occupying the position oars did, and exposed to such a raking artillery fire aa the enemy subjected them to, to maintain their grouud against the overwhelming foroe which the reb els oontinued to push against them. OENEEAL SMITH'S ASSACr.T. Gen. Smith, is, emphatically, a fighting I man, and ss may be imagined, the events of the morning had tended to decrease io no mea sure his pugnacity. When be received his long desired orders for RD assault of the ene my's works, his eyes glistened with a fire which could ,it have been teen by bis malignerr, would have left them in no doubt as to his' private feelings in regard to the present con* test. All the arrangements were completed by three o'clock, and h:s column was put in inotiou soon after. The foreo under bis corn tuand waa as follows; Col. Cook's Brigade—Seventh Illinois, Pit* tiotb do., Twelfth lowa, Thirteenth Missouri, Fifty second Indiana. Col. LautiWi Brigade—Second lowa, Soveuib lowa, Fourteenth lowa, Twenty-fifth Indiana, Fifty-sixth Indiana. Under cover of Capt. Stone's Missouri bat tery, this force began the assault. It was a formidable undertaking, which, under a lets brave and skillful commander than Gen. Smith might have proved a disastrous failure. The bills at this point are among the most precipitous of those upon which the enemy were posted. Selecting the Second and Sev enth lowa, aud the Fttty-second Indiana fur the storming party, Gen. Smith dtflicted the uiaiu portion of his division to the right, and having succeeded in engaging ths attention of the enemy at this point, himself headed the atoriuiog party and advanced upon tba works from bis extreme left. It was a most magnificent sight. Uo&ppaJled by tba perfect storui of Bullets which rained about htm, the General on hoisebaek, aud with bis hat on the point of bis ewofd preceded his troops, and inspired them with a future there was uo with standing. f b'tdisiiy with unbroken line, the gallant Ha.k e>e ana Induuwns advanced. The en emy's giup:s and canister came plowing through their rank;, but tut a abut was fired la return. CiosiDg up tue racks as one alter another of the brave fellows dropped to the evrtb, tad aLiuitied by ills fearless exitnpie of ibeir ua daunted ieaoer, they pressed steadily on. The wurkd gaiuca, cue trotuendous voliey was p juied into the astoDisbed enemy, and with tixsd bayjneifl, a charge was made into their ranks wh.cb there was no withstanding. They ficd in eoufusiao over the bills, and at last we had penetrated the rebel Sebastopdl, and the misfortunes of the morning were retrieved. (Japt. Stone's battery, which, iu the meantime, had been doing tremendous execution in tba rebel ranks, was promptly advanced to the po sition gained, aud tuataaiiy, support rd by the remainder of bis division, the point was secur ed ugliest any force the enemy oould bring to bear against it. qkn. i.tw Wallace's attack on the iuoiit. In the meantime, Geo. Lew. Wallace ha i ' oouopleted his preparations for an attack on | the enemy occupying the position he had ! wrested from us in the morning, some two ; miles and a half to ( the right. Just as his coN < umo was being put in motion, a messenger ar rived with ihe joyful tidings that Smith was inside of the en tieuchmenig. With a cheer that resounded far and near, the irresistablo Eighth Missouri and Eleventh Indiana, whioh occupied the front, advanced on the double quick into the encounter they had so long been seeking. These two regiments, from their superiority in drill nnii fighting capacities have been considered a "crack corps," and most ncbly did they uphold to the letter their enviable reputation. They did not t trry long to bother with the pow der and bali, but with a about of itself terrific enough to appal their toes, gave them the cold steel with a will which will long be remembered.— Shell and round shot, grape and canister were buried at them in vain. Still onward tbSV pressed, and regiment after regiment fled before them. Valiantly supported by the First Nebraska, Thirteenth Missouri, and other regiments of Col. Thayer's and Craft's brigades, a steady advar.ee was made, until by dusk the ground whicti had been so hotly contested in the morning, was oura again, and once more the rebels were for ced to seek the protecting shadow of the earthworks. The effect of these successes upon the army was electrical-six hours before, with gunboats disabled and the enemy in possession of a portion of our ground, tbe position of affairs was gloomy, indeed , But now all was changed. Elated with victory and the knowledge that at la*t they had obtained a foot bold in the enemy's fortifications, and savage at the thought of the privations they had eacountered, and at being so long balked in the possession of their prey, officers and men alike clamored for an immediate assault that night. Gen. Grant, however, mindful of the risks atten ding such an operation, even with troops exhibiting such veteran charicteristics as those underpins com mand had displayed wisely postponed the tins, coup de main till the coming of the morrow's light. What the morrow brought forth, and how tba rebels, worn out and dispirited by the protracted beleaguerment concluded to give up their strong hold and lay down their arms is already well known. Tbe more detailed particulars of tbe surrender of Fort Donelson, and its cordon of field works, tbe departing mail allows me no time to speak of. ti W. 8.. MORE GOOD NEWS FROM THE WEST. St. Louis, Feb. 20. —Gen. Halleck baa sent tbe following despatch to General Mo- Clellae: "Claiksville baa been taken, with supplies enough for our army for twenty days, and is now occupied by General Smith's division, "Gen. Price, being reinforced by MoCdl looh's command, made a stand at Sugar Creek Crossing, in Arkansas, on the 19th, but wug defeated after a abort engagement and again fled. Many priioners were taken and a quan tity of arms which bis men threw away in their Sight." SPEECH J. FAULKMFR. A despatch frotn Frederick, dated Feb. 19, atatei, that on Sunday night, a complimentary dinner was extended to Hon. Cbas. J. Faulk ner, Ex-Minister to France, at Martinsburg.-- That gentleman 'who, it will be remembered was exchanged for Mr. Ely,) in a spech ou that occasion said, in effu at, that the policy of aeeesaion, as it had been carried out, had been a failure. It bad been accompanied with un necessary waste of life. The best blood of the South aud an immense amount of property bad been sacrificed. If this course was continued it would pile ruin on ruin. The publio seotia meet of Western Virginia was opposed to it. Ho also intimated that be bad no affiliation with those who wished the present war to coo tioue. His remarks were acquiesced in by tbe large audience present. And there is uo doubt but that be refleetcd the true sentiment of nine-tenths of the people in the upper counties of the Potomae. Report* from usually reliable resource# aay that between 300 and 400 of tbe Berkley eouuty militia have deserted in a body, and •re en rout* to cross th Potomac and joiu our ranks.