was not, strictly speaking, a "charge bayonets," but it would have been one if the enemy had not fled. Graves' battery was then moved up, and my regiment moved forward several hundred yards. While Graves was moving up his ammunition and other preparations were being made to hold this position the order came from General Pillow to return to the trenches. Up to this period the success was complete.

When I returned to my position and before the companies had reached the trenches the enemy attacked enlarge force and took them. I fell back to the original line of defense, and, being re-enforced by several regiments, this position was retrieved; General Buckner at this point being present and in command. This position was a stronger one than the one lost, and every effort was made that night to construct defenses; but the men were so exhausted from labor and loss of sleep that it was utterly impossible.

I will take the liberty to add, that up to the time whence were ordered back to the trenches our success was complete and our escape secure.

It is also my opinion that the exhaustion of the men from los of sleep and labor, together with the demoralization caused by the loss of our trenches on the right, rendered the surrender unavoidable.

The officers and men of my regiment acted with great gallantry.

The list of the killed and wounded I have heretofore furnished.*

ROGER W. HANSON,

Colonel Second Kentucky Regiment.

Major GEORGE B. COSBY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 55. Report of Major W. L. Doss, Fourteenth Mississippi Infantry.

-, --, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report to following operations of the Fourteenth Regiment Mississippi Volunteers during the engagement at Fort Donelson, ending February 15:

On the morning of February 15, at 3 p. m., I received orders to have my regiment in readiness to move to two hours. About daylight we took up line of march in the direction of our left wing. It was with great difficulty that we progressed, owing to the country, which was hilly or mountainous, and covered with snow and ice.

During our march shells were constantly falling around us, without doing us any damage, until we halted in rear of the entrenchments, protected to some extent from the shells of the enemy by forming on the hill-side, which was thickly set with undergrowth. At this place Captain J. L. Crigler, of Company G, was severely wounded in the right arm by the explosion of a shell, and was unable to proceed farther with his company.

I received orders to deploy two companies as skirmishers, and soon after the battalion was ordered to dislodge a battery in position, apparently about 400 yards to our front. The regiment moved off by the right flank until it reached our entrenchments, when it advanced in line of battle. We very soon came to a small field, containing about 10 or

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*Not found. Aggregate estimated by General Buckner at 80. See p. 337.

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