My Days and Nights on the Battle-Field

t their base by the mighty stream. Cannon placed on the summit have long range. A great deal of labor was expended to make it an impregnable place. There were batteries close down t

nd the river. They built a long line of earthworks to protect the rear, intrenchments and stockades,-which are strong posts

chain across the river, supporting it by barges which were anchored in the stream. They gave out word that

el To

es for blowing up Commodore Foote's gunboats. He had several thousand made,-some for the land, which were planted around Columbus in rear of the town, and which were connected with a galvanic battery by a telegraph wire, to be exploded at the right moment, by which he hoped to destroy thousands of the Union troops. He sunk several hundred in the river opposite Columbus. They were oblong cylinders of wrought iron, four or five feet in length; inside were two or three hundred pounds of powder. Two small anchors held the cylinder in its proper place. It was air tight, and therefore f

high into the air. Thousands of Rebel soldiers stood on the bluffs and saw it. They hurrahed and swung their hats. Mr. Maury was so well pleased that the river was planted

ical. He forgot that the river was constantly rising and falling, that sometimes the water would be so high the gunboats could

changed to an inky mass, and that the hundreds of thousands of dollars which Mr. Maury had spe

was evacuated on the 27th of February. On the 4th of March Commodore Foote, having seen signs that the Rebels were leaving Columbus, went down the river, with six gunboats, accompanied by se

k," he said, as I stepped on b

Captain Stemble, commanding the ship,

I could see the great gun within six feet of me, and shining cutlasses and gleaming muskets. Looking out of the ward-room, I could see the men in their hammocks asleep, like orioles in their

away. They were clearing the decks for action, running out the guns, bringing up shot and shell, tugging and pulling at the ropes. Going o

k, walking with crutches, still lame

don't like to see men killed; but when I have a duty to perform for my

ont battle-ground, where General Grant fought his f

basket, where the shell went in, and in the gable an opening large enough for the passage of

en on the bluff, and a flag flying. Were the Rebels there? We could no

noissance day before yesterday. Perhaps the Rebels have all gone

of soldiers," he added. He jumped on boar

ore Foote. "If you are willing to run the risk, you are at liberty to accompany

e stream slowly

Rebels are there, they could t

is still waving. The man

lry! Away we dash. The other tug, w

! Lay her in quick!"

the soldiers, reach the upper works, and fling out the Stars and Stripes t

by its own weight. At the landing are hundreds of Mr. Maury's torpedoes,-old iron now. We wander over the town, along the fortifications, view the strong defences, and wonder that the Rebels gave it up,-defended as it was by one hundred and twenty guns,-without a struggle, but the fall of Fort Donelson com

d Jeff Davis hoped to secure it as one of the Confederate States, but he was disappointed in his expe