Union Soldier John W. N. Doak Civil War Letters: #1 Fort Donelson & Pittsburg Landing

John Whitfield Newton Doak was above all, a farmer and a patriot. Born in Washington County, Tennessee on December 10th, 1838, he spent his teen years in northwestern Missouri before his twice widowed mother settled down on land her first husband, Dr. John Newton Doak, had purchased decades earlier. At the start of the Civil War John, his mother Martha, and older brother Will had worked their Illinois farm, two miles southwest of the town of Paris in Edgar County, Illinois for about four years. 

According to family records, below is the first Civil War letter that John W. N. Doak wrote home to Paris, Illinois. It is not to his sweetheart Emily Jane Guthrie, but rather to a neighbor, Jessee B. Morris. By this time John’s regiment, Colonel Birge’s Western Sharpshooters had seen some action in Boone County Missouri, including the last battle of the entire Civil War in 1861, the Battle of Mt. Zion Church on Dec. 28th. John’s Company E did not fight in this battle, but were left behind to garrison General Benjamin Prentiss’ Sturgeon, MO headquarters and their nearby camp. Mt. Zion was a Union victory that helped to secure the North Missouri Railroad and all of central Missouri for the Union. 

In the letter below John gives us some idea of what it was like to fight in the three day Battle of Fort Donelson. A cold front dropped the temperature from 65 degrees to 12 degrees in only about 36 hours.  Most of the fighting took place from February 13th through the 15th, with the rebels surrendering on February 16th. Grant had outnumbered, outfought, and outmaneuvered the rebels at Fort Donelson. All Rebel General Simon Buckner could do was surrender. When he asked for terms he was shocked by Grant’s unchivalrous reply: "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.” Buckner was outraged, but he had no choice but to accept and sign the surrender papers. Grant became famous overnight with a new nickname: “Unconditional Surrender Grant.” 

Americans following the war closely might have read about John’s regiment in the New York Times, as their skill as marksmen silenced Confederate batteries in their portion of the battlefield. According to the New York Times; 

Among the rest who disposed themselves along these ridges were Birge’s celebrated regiment of riflemen, and from that time forward, a seccession head above the parapet was sure to go down with a hole bored through it about the size of one that might be made with a three-quarter auger. This regiment did most effectual service, each member with a gray felt cap whose top is rigged ´fore-and-aft´ with squirrel tails dyed black. Their weapon is a heavy rifle with an effective range of about 1,000 yards. Lying flat behind a stump, one would watch with finger on trigger for rebel game with all the excitement of a hunter waylaying deer at a ´salt-lick.´ Woe to rebel caput that was lifted ever so quickly above the parapet for a glance at Yankee operations, fifty eyes instantly sighted it, and fifty fingers drew trigger on it, and thereafter it was seen no more. Writhing over on his back, the sharpshooter would reload and then twist back, in all the operation, not exposing so much as the tip of his elbow to the enemy.

Grant was well pleased with his western soldiers, writing in his official report on February 17th: 

The victory achieved is not only great in the effect it will have in breaking down the rebellion, but has secured the greatest numbers of prisoners of war ever taken in any battle on this continent. Fort Donelson will hereafter be marked in capitals on the map of our united country, and the men who fought the battle will live in the memory of a grateful people.

Here is Private John W. N. Doak’s reflections on the Battle of Fort Donelson and the status of the war in March of 1862: 

Pittsburgh Landing, TN, 

Tennessee River 

March 19, 1862

Jessee B. Morris:

While awaitin’ orders to go ashore and gazin’ out on the river over the hills of my native state, I thought I would put you to the trouble of reading a few lines from one of Uncle Sam's boys, when you could have spent your time better by feeding your pigs.

I need not attempt to give you a full history of my life since I have been soldierin’ or say much about our fight at Donelson, as this is getting old and you perhaps know nearly as much about it as I do. Although we gained a great victory, we suffered a great deal from cold. The weather was not extremely cold but snow or cold rain continued to fall near all the time during the fight, as we had neither overcoat, nor blanket. You can well imagine how we fared tho’ I believe we bore this more cheerfully than would have been expected under such circumstances. None of our Co. were hurt by Secesh balls as you have learned before this, yet they whistled by our ears as close as we wished them too.

We left Donelson on the 6th , I believe, marched across this river, just above Ft. Henry on 13th. We got aboard a steamer Lancaster (where we sill remain). As we came up here we, with pleasure, saw ladies waving their handkerchief and men their hats at us from nearly every house. We stopped two or three days at Savannah, below here. 

I am surprised to find so many Union people here. I think a majority of them here are for the old flag. I did not believe when at home that many down here had been forced into the army, but now am convinced they were. We now have men in our army that were forced in the Southern army, two are in our company, and at Savannah I heard, three hundred had joined us. Some of the men I have seen

I saw many who had not joined yet, but had come to see if we wouldn’t help them to get their families away, then they will help us. One fellow told me his father was 73 years of age, and had “taken to the woods” several times to keep from taking the oath to support the southern rag. He also said that a few days ago, seven young men had started to us, and were overtaken by Secesh and forced in their army. Many in that country will think such as this a republican lie (as I used to) but more than this can be truthfully said of them. I expect there are as many union men in this country as in Edgar Co., maybe more. I believe it is a better place to recruit than there. Secesh’ if they can help it will not allow anyone to come to our boats. Some had never learned that Henry and Donelson were taken until they came to us. 

It is now near supper time, perhaps I had better quit writing and get something to eat. I am not at all tired of soldiering, but I don’t like to cook. Please tell the ladies I don’t want them all to marry before I return. 

Give my respects to all, Yours etc. 

John N. Doak. 

***

Owen C. Doak

July 7th, 2026