March 1862

This has been one of the coldest winters around 
here that I can remember in a long time.  There 
has been an unusually large amount of snow this 
year.  It seems to never end.  It makes for very 
long days here at the house when you can not get 
out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.  But 
the time is spent wisely.  For I have 3 brothers 
that are fighting for the Confederacy and I have 
spent many long nights here by the fire, 
knitting socks, gloves, sewing material into 
shirts and other things that are much needed by 
them and others who fight this War.  There are 
also many neighbors whose sons are also fighting 
and the ladies of the County get together and we 
have sewing circles to make things for the men.  

It has been a terrible time here in Tennessee 
these past few months.  President Davis has 
appointed a new Commander for the Army of the 
West.  His name is Albert Sidney Johnson and 
carries the title of "General Commanding the 
Western Department of the Army of the Confederate 
States of America."  He has taken to raising more 
men for the Army and has called for the Governors 
of Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi for 50,000 
men.  30,000 from Tennessee and 10,000 each 
from Arkansas and Mississippi.  

The men are ready to serve, but they are ill 
equipped to fight effectively.  Nashville and 
other important cities in the State, especially 
Memphis on the Mississippi were venerable to 
attack.  
On the Tennessee River is Fort  Henry.  It is a 
solidly constructed earthwork fortification.  
Nine guns faced the river and five were on the 
land side of the Fort.  It was attacked on the 
4th of February by gunboats coming up the River.  
The Fort was under the command of General 
Tilghman, who as I understand it, was not at the 
Fort at the time of attack.  He had gone 
to inspect another Fort, Fort Donelson.  

With the men ill equipped, it was decided that 
they should abandon the Fort and move to Fort 
Donelson.   A Lieutenant Watts of Company B, 1st 
Tennessee Artillery, with a mere 54 men were 
ordered to hold the Fort for a time, to all the 
others to make good their escape to Fort Donelson.  
General Tilghman saw the men off and then hurried 
back to Fort Henry. But alas, the Fort fell to 
Union Forces. 

Fort Donelson was prepared for the impending 
assault that it knew it would soon face.  
General Pillow was ordered to move to Fort 
Donelson will great urgency.  He was told to 
hold as long as he could, then evacuate and 
march to Nashville for it’s defense.  Nashville 
had not been fortified and the fight to hold 
must be made at Fort Donelson.  The Fort was 
attacked on the 11th of February.  The fighting 
went till the 16th and the Fort finally fell.  

One General at the Battle refused to surrender 
though.  General Nathan Bedford Forrest was 
granted permission to take his men out and did 
so.  This man raised a regiment of Calvary on 
his own and used his own money to outfit them 
with saddles and pistols and what ever else was 
needed by his men.  Alas all this was in vain 
effort as Nashville fell soon after.  I had 
hoped that our State would not see the ravages 
of War that Virginia had seen, but it was not 
to be.