Free Yankee Belles in Dixie by Gilbert L. Morris Page B

our supplies. Our armies can’t fight if they don’t have food and guns and ammunition. Things have been coming to us up this river, and Fort Donelson here is the fort that’s supposed to keep us from controlling the supply line.”
    â€œOh! So this is where we have to stop the Yankees. Is that right?”
    â€œThat’s right.” Tom looked out across the fading daylight to where the river purled past the old fort. “If they control the Mississippi, I don’t think we can win. And right here at this little place called Donelson, that’s where it’s going to be settled. If they whip us here, they can take the whole river.”
    â€œWell, who’s going to be our commanding officer now that we’re here? I wish we could have brought General Lee with us.”
    â€œReckon he’s got all he can do back in Richmond. From what I hear, McClellan’s going to be there soon with about a hundred thousand soldiers. That’s why we gotta stop ’em here quick so we can get back to help him.”
    After only a few days, word came that the Northern general, Grant, had taken Fort Henry just a few miles away.
    â€œI reckon they’ll be coming to get us now for sure,” Tom said dubiously. “I wish we were anywhere except here. I don’t like the generals we’ve got.”
    The two generals in charge were General Pillow and General Floyd. When the Federal attack came, these generals held out for two days, but then they caved in.
    The first that Jeff heard of the bad news was when Tom came in, his mouth hard. “Well, they’ve done it! They’re gonna surrender.”
    â€œSurrender! Why, they can’t do that!”
    â€œThey’re arguing about it now, but the word is that those two are gonna quit.”
    â€œWhat about us, all of us here?”
    â€œWe’ll wind up in a prison camp, that’s what! I had a bad feeling about this all the time, Jeff. Now it looks like I was right.”
    â€œWe’ve got to get out of here! We can’t stay here. I couldn’t stand it in one of those prison camps, and you couldn’t either, Tom.”
    â€œI know it.” Tom’s shoulders sagged, and he said grimly, “But I just don’t know what we’re going to do about it.”
    * * *
    Â Â Â Inside the officers’ tent, an argument was going on. The two generals Pillow and Floyd were so discouraged they could do little but moan. Another general, Buckner, tried to encourage them, but they would have none of it.
    â€œYou stay here, General Buckner—Pillow and I will leave.”
    There was a fourth officer in the tent—General Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was a tall, stronglooking man with a full beard and fierce eyes. He had listened to the defeatist talk of Pillow and Floyd and protested that there was still a way out. He could lead the men through the swamp and across the river, through the enemy lines. “I can get us all out, if you’ll just listen!”
    But General Floyd shook his head. “No, it’s hopeless. You can’t do it, Forrest. You’ll have to surrender your command.”
    General Forrest glared at him. “I didn’t come to this place to surrender my command. You can do what you want, but I am leading my men out of here.” He turned and left the tent.
    General Forrest went to where his cavalry troop was stationed. The men gathered around to hear him. Tom and Jeff had made friends with one of the troopers, and they looked up at the big general.
    Forrest said, “Men, they’re going to surrender, but not me. I’m getting out of here if I have to die doing it. Anybody who wants to come is welcome.”
    At once the cavalrymen let out a shrill yelp and began hurriedly saddling their horses.
    Tom nudged Jeff in the ribs. “This is our chance. I’m going to get out of here with General Forrest.”
    â€œBut we don’t have any