On the return of Captain Walke to Fort Henry on the 10th, I had requested him to take the vessels that had accompanied him on his expedition up the Tennessee, and get possession of the Cumberland as far up towards Donelson as possible.  He started without delay, taking, however, only his own gunboat, the Carondelet, towed by the steamer Alps.  Captain Walke arrived a few miles below Donelson on the 12th, a little after noon.  About the time the advance of troops reached a point within gunshot of the fort on the land side, he engaged the water batteries at long range.  On the 13th I informed him of my arrival the day before and of the establishment of most of our batteries, requesting him at the same time to attack again that day so that I might take advantage of any diversion.  The attack was made and many shots fell within the fort, creating some consternation, as we now know.  The investment on the land side was made as complete as the number of troops engaged would admit of.

During the night of the 13th Flag-officer Foote arrived with the iron-clads St. Louis, Louisville and Pittsburg and the wooden gunboats Tyler and Conestoga, convoying Thayer’s brigade.  On the morning of the 14th Thayer was landed.  Wallace, whom I had ordered over from Fort Henry, also arrived about the same time.  Up to this time he had been commanding a brigade belonging to the division of General C. F. Smith.  These troops were now restored to the division they belonged to, and General Lew.  Wallace was assigned to the command of a division composed of the brigade of Colonel Thayer and other reinforcements that arrived the same day.  This new division was assigned to the centre, giving the two flanking divisions an opportunity to close up and form a stronger line.

The plan was for the troops to hold the enemy within his lines, while the gunboats should attack the water batteries at close quarters and silence his guns if possible.  Some of the gunboats were to run the batteries, get above the fort and above the village of Dover.  I had ordered a reconnoissance made with the view of getting troops to the river above Dover in case they should be needed there.  That position attained by the gunboats it would have been but a question of time—­and a very short time, too—­when the garrison would have been compelled to surrender.

By three in the afternoon of the 14th Flag-officer Foote was ready, and advanced upon the water batteries with his entire fleet.  After coming in range of the batteries of the enemy the advance was slow, but a constant fire was delivered from every gun that could be brought to bear upon the fort.  I occupied a position on shore from which I could see the advancing navy.  The leading boat got within a very short distance of the water battery, not further off I think than two hundred yards, and I soon saw one and then another of them dropping down the river, visibly disabled.  Then the whole fleet followed and the engagement closed