tility of President Jackson. After this Mr. Bell was identified with the. Whigs, although he had supported nearly all of Jackson's policies. In 1847, he was elected to the United States senate.

John Bell was one of the great men of his day. His mind was large and thoroughly balanced, and in addition to this he was an honest man of blameless life. He was strongly opposed to secession, but after President Lincoln called for troops to force the seceding states back into the Union, he, together with Cave Johnson who had been attorney general in President Polk's cabi

net, and others, issued the following statement:

"Tennessee is called upon by the president to furnish two regiments, and the state has through her executive refused to comply with this call. This refusal of our state we fully approve. Should a purpose be developed by the government of overruling and subjugating our brethren of the Seceded States, we say unequivocally that it will be the duty of the state to resist at all hazards, and at any cost, and by force of arms, any such purpose or attempt."

CHAPTER XVII

BATTLES IN TENNESSEE

Next to Virginia, Tennessee was the great battle ground of the Civil War. More than 400 battles and skirmishes were fought within her bounds. Tennessee furnished a larger number of soldiers in this great conflict in proportion to her population than did any other state in the Union. Tennessee soldiers were in many battles beyond the borders of the state, and to give an adequate account of Tennessee's part in the Civil War would require a complete history of the whole conflict. Here no attempt is made to give a history even of the battles in Tennessee. Only a small number of important engagements are mentioned.

FORT HENRY

The first battle of the Civil War fought on Tennessee soil was the battle of Fort Henry. Fort Henry was situated on the Tennessee River, near the Kentucky line. About 2,500 Confederates were stationed here at the beginning of the war in order to protect the navigation of the Tennessee River. On the 4th of February, 1862, General Grant with about 16,000 men and seven gunboats began an attack on the fort. Realizing that they could not hold their position against such a large army, the Confederate forces withdrew, on the 6th of Febru

ary, leaving a small number of men to hold the attention of the enemy while they were withdrawing. The main body of the troops succeeded in getting away while the small number left surrendered. The troops from Fort Henry marched twelve miles to Fort Donelson, which was situated on the Cumberland River not far from Dover, Tennessee. Fort Donelson at the time was defended by about 4,000 men, and was soon strengthened by the arrival of the troops under General Buckner, General Pillow, and General Floyd. Altogether the Confederate forces here numbered about 15,000.

FORT DONELSON

On the 12th of February, General Grant, with an army estimated all the way from 27,300 to 40,000 men, together with a fleet of gunboats, began the siege of Fort Donelson. At first General Floyd was in command. In the beginning of the siege the Confederates gained some triumphant victories, but on the fourth day came to the conclusion that they could not longer successfully resist such overwhelming numbers. General Floyd and General Pillow withdrew, taking with them some of their troops. Their departure left General Buckner in command. General N. B. Forrest was a colonel at this time, and his regiment formed a part of the troops left with General Buckner. After General Floyd and General Pillow left, General Buckner announced to his officers that he was going to surrender. Colonel Forrest protested vigorously against a surrender,

stating that the army could escape that night. But failing to win General Buckner to his idea, Forrest withdrew in the darkness with his regiment, and escaped without seeming difficulty. The next day General Buckner surrendered.

The failure to hold Fort Henry and Fort Donelson meant that the Confederates would be compelled to give up Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee. For with the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers open to the enemy, the Confederates could hardly hope to hold any important point in these sections against the superior forces on the other side. Hence, the Confederates withdrew to the south.

THE BATTLE OF SHILOH OR PITTSBURG LANDING

When the Confederate forces withdrew from Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee, they gathered around Corinth, Mississippi, which is about twentyfive miles south of the Tennessee line. In the meantime the Federal troops gathered around Savannah, Tennessee. Pittsburg Landing is a few miles south of Savannah, and near Pittsburg Landing is a little place called Shiloh. Soon after General A. S. Johnston, who was in command of the Confederate forces, reached Corinth, he decided to march against and attack Grant at Pittsburg Landing before reinforcements, which were then on the way, could reach him. On April 6th, 1862, Johnston and Grant met at Shiloh. Johnston had, according to his own statement, an army of 40,000 men. Grant's army, on the first day, has been estimated from 32,000 to 41,153.

The Confederates gained a decided victory in the first day's fight. Grant's forces were driven back to the river. But about two o'clock in the afternoon of the battle, General Johnston was killed. This caused a great shock to the Confederates, and doubtless was the reason why they did not follow up the great victory by continuing the attack. General Beauregard, who succeeded General Johnston in command, waited till next morning to renew the attack. In the meantime Grant had been reinforced by about 28,000 fresh troops. Grant, now, with his reinforcements, forced Beauregard back to Corinth. The Confederate losses in this battle in killed, wounded, and missing, were about 10,000; the Federal losses were about 13,000.

THE BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO OR STONE'S RIVER

In December, 1862, the Confederate forces under General Bragg, were gathered at Murfreesboro; and large Federal forces were at the same time concentrated at Nashville in command of General Rosecrans. On the 31st of December, General Rosecrans met Bragg at Stone's River, just outside of Murfreesboro in a desperate battle which lasted for three days. General Bragg estimated his forces at the beginning of the battle at 37,712. According to General Rosecrans' estimate of the Federal troops engaged he had 46,940 men in the field, of whom 43,400 engaged in battle. General Bragg reported his total loss in this battle at 10,266, including killed, wounded, and missing. General Rosecrans reported