This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

?
Mississippi marched past the breastworks and mto Fort Donelson. Pvt. Baxter chewed down a hjurried breakfast_of fried bacon and hardtack and got ready for his first big battle. It was to be the second big battle of the war in the west, and in retrospect, it was far more decisive than appeared at the time. Certainly it opened up water highways that split the Confederacy straight down the middle.
Simultaneous with the arrival of the 20th Mississippi, Grant began his investment of the Fort Donelson perimeter. Baxter and the rest of his regiment were held all day in reserve against Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand?s Division attacking in the center. Although not directly engaged with the enemy that day, shrapnel from the Federal cannons killed one man and wounded several more in the Mississippi regiment.
That morning when Floyd?s Division reached Fort Donelson the weather was warm and sunny with a slight promise of early spring in the air, but by late afternoon this mild spell had been blotted out by rain that quickly turned to sleet as the temperature dropped. The 20th Mississippi had to bivouack in position with no campfires allowed. At midnight they moved forward to relieve the 7th Texas Infantry Regiment in the front rifle-pits and to spend the rest of a bone-chilling night reinforcing breastworks and shoveling sleet and snow from the rifle-pits.
That day (Friday, February 14) most of the action belonged to the Federal ironclads and the big guns in the Water Batteries. The 20th Mississippi continued sporadic engagements with enemy sharpshooters, and about noon was ordered, along with the 14th Mississippi, to join Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow?s Division. A sortie was planned against Gen. McClernand?s forces opposite the Confederate left and upstream from the village of Dover. But after a short advance, the order was countermanded and the 20th returned to the trenches. Late that day the Confederate commanders agreed to attempt a breakout next morning by assailing McClernand?s Division. Pillow would lead the attack, followed by the rest of the army.
Next day Baxter was to endure two trying ordeals - a baptism of blood under fire (Company E suffered 30 percent
27