The desperate struggle in which our Regiment was engaged, and the persistence with which the boys fought, may be seen from the list of killed and wounded as presented above. Only about 600 went into the fight. Of these, 195 were killed and wounded; just about every third man.
The boys had, it will be remembered, when they left Fort Heiman on the morning of the 12th of February, only two days' rations. They received nothing more until the evening of the 15th, after they had been engaged in the severe battle of that forenoon. Thus their two days' rations had to last them four days. Many of the officers, who had entrusted their haversacks to their servants, became separated from those servants, and were almost without anything to eat for the last forty-eight hours. There was no chance for foraging there. Often now, our Regiment will go out on a scout with three days' rations, and live very well on it for six or eight days. Such was the battle of Fort Donelson, and the part the 9th took in it.
The Regiment remained at Fort Donelson until the 22d of February, when the Brigade proceeded up the Cumberland River to Fort Sevier near Clarksville, where they disembarked and went into camp on the 25th.
Major Kuhn, formerly Provost Marshal of Paducah, and Co. H of the 9th Regiment, his Provost Guard, reported to the Regiment for duty on the 23d. The Regiment remained in camp here until the 27th, when it embarked on board the steamer "Woodford," and proceeded up the river to Nashville, Tenn., arriving there on the morning of the 28th. Here it remained until March 1st, when it returned to camp at Fort Sevier.
When our forces advanced up the Cumberland River to Clarksville and Nashville, they found no enemy to oppose them. After the rebels surrendered Fort Donelson, they seemed to be seized with terror. The rebel Governor and Legislature fled from Nashville in terror, taking with them whatever they could of State property. The writer, being then in Illinois, well remembers the public rejoicing there was over the result of this victory. There seemed to be a feeling prevailing in the North that the "backbone" of the Rebellion was broken, and that we would soon have peace. But two years have passed away, (I write this sketch on the 16th of February, the anniversary of Fort Donelson's surrender,) and, although we have several times since that been cheered with the promise that the "backbone" of the Rebellion was broken, still it lives. It is said a snake's tail does not die until sunset, even though its back may be broken and its head mashed. Perhaps, as the rebs. had, at first, a snake for their emblem, this may be the reason it is so long dying. Maybe it is only the tail of it that now remains alive. When, however, sunset will come, and its tail cease to live, is difficult to determine. May it be soon.