the old soldier led his division of raw volunteers with success at the battle of fort donelson in february 1862. during the attack on the confederate right flank, which he led personally, he saw some of his men waver. he yelled to them, "damn you gentlemen, i see skulkers, i'll have none here. come on, you volunteers, come on. you volunteered to be killed for love of country, and now you can be. you are only damned volunteers. i'm only a soldier, and don't want to be killed, but you came to be killed and now you can be."