Historical map of fort henry and fort donelson the relative positions of fort henry and fort donelson. Gott is the author of where the south lost the war. No terms but unconditional surrender, the history press, 2011isbn 9781609491291. It was explained that union gunboats came at the fort very quickly and seized it.
The main unit of the park, in dover, tennessee, commemorates the battle of fort donelson. Kendall gott talked about the civil war battle of fort donelson. Battle of fort donelson in february 1862, general ulysses s. Battle of fort donelson american civil war britannica. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign, february 1862. An analysis of the fort henry fort donelson campaign, february 1862, stackpole books, 2003, isbn 0811700496. The national park service website for fort donelson nicely sums up the results of the battle bells rang jubilantly throughout the north as the news spread that fort donelson, a confederate holding along the cumberland.
The study also raises the strategic stature of the fall of fort henry, an event most often sidelined in campaign evaluations in favor of the much larger, bloodier, and dramatic donelson battle and surrender that followed it. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Johnston had dispatched about 12,000 reinforcements from bowling green, kentucky, under floyd, to bolster the defense of the fort. Louis, hung in the balance between slaveholding and non slaveholding elements. The confederate river batteries fort donelson national. General grant attacked fort donelson after attacking fort henry.
Map of the environs of fort donelson, tennessee, feb. Smith, a native of kentucky, escaped from his situation as an enslaved man and, once gaining protection from the union army, witnessed much of the battles of fort henry and fort donelson, and was later wounded at the battle of shiloh in april of 1862. Stewart county tn visitor center, our temporary home starting december 7, 2015. After nashville fell, grant continued his tenacious push along the. The capture of forts henry and donelson buffalo gap. Fort henry had been a key position in the center of a line defending tennessee, and the capture of the fort now opened the tennessee river to union troop and supply movements. The battle of fort donelson was fought from february 1116, 1862, in the western theater of the american civil war. Early in the war, union commanders realized control of the major rivers would be the key to success in the western theater. The events of february, 1862 at forts henry and donelson have long been overshadowed by other civil war events. The first thing he did on reaching the vicinity of donelson was to throw some five hundred men, under col. Grant landed his troops at fort henry and then, instead of waiting on the methodical but slow halleck, marched his small force overland to fort donelson, which protected the cumberland river. If you find our videos helpful you can support us by buying something from amazon. He was wounded during the exchange of artillery on february 14, 1862. This book presents one of the most detailed descriptions of the fort henry and fort donelson campaign.
With the capture of fort donelson and its sister fort, henry, the north had not only won its first great victory, it had also gained a new herounconditional surrender grant, who was promoted to major general. Just a personal what if, i have wondered about for some time. The battle of fort donelson was an early battle in the american civil war 18611865. Woodward, on the fort henry road, between donelson and henry, to prevent reinforcements. Our battle of fort donelson page includes history articles, battle maps, photos, travel information, and a wealth of related material related to this important civil war battle. The losses of fort henry and fort donelson were disasters for the confederates. The study also raises the strategic stature of the fall of fort henry, an event most often sidelined in campaign evaluations in favor of the much larger, bloodier, and.
The battle of fort donelson, tennessee taken from the confederate military history general grant invested fort donelson on the 12th of february, 1862, with 15,000 troops, reinforced that evening by six regiments of infantry and flagofficer footes fleet of four ironclad and two wooden gunboatsthe st. Grants operations against fort donelson lasted from february 11 to february 16, 1862. Fort donelson confederate order of battle wikipedia. The fall of these forts opened the door to the deep south and the end of the confederacy. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign, february 1862 gott, kendall d. Flag officer andrew hull foote was in charge of the naval fleet at fort donelson. Battle of fort henry, american civil war battle along the tennessee river that helped the union regain western and middle tennessee as well as most of kentucky fort henry, situated on the tennessee river, was a linchpin in confederate general albert sidney johnstons defense lines.
The psychological impact of gunboats on the fort henry and donelson campaign abstract during the course of the american civil war, 18611865, ironclad warships developed a fearful reputation as powerful commanders of the mississippi river. Fort donelson was a much stronger work than fort henry. Fort heiman, in particular, has a lack of visual history. In his official report from the battle, foote described the united states navy not prepared. At midnight on february 7th survivors of fort henry arrived at fort donelson. This map of fort donelson and its environs was done by. There are no known photographs of fort heiman, fort henry, or fort donelson from the time of the american civil war. This follows along stream sides and creeks, and then climbs ridges only to come back down along the streams. The rebels were led by brigadier general floyd, brigadier general pillow and brigadier general buckner. Grant advanced 12 miles crosscountry to invest fort donelson on the cumberland river. Along with fort donelson on the cumberland river, fort henry bisected southern lines and guarded rich mineral.
Fort henry, or fort donelson from the time of the american civil war. Pushing south into tennessee with assistance from flag officer andrew footes gunboats, union troops under brigadier general ulysses s. Grant had wanted to move fast, to prevent reinforcements arriving at all, but rainy weather delayed him and the confederate troops arrived safely. Battle of fort donelson civil war map battle fort donelson. Foote, battle of fort donelson, battle of fort henry, charles ellet jr. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Forts donelson and henrys restless dead christopher coleman battle of shiloh, civil war ghosts, civil war leaders, fort donelson, fort henry, forts donelson and henry, ghosts and haunts of the civil war, the american civil war, ulysses s. It was the first important victory for the union and brig. The 1862 battles for forts henry and donelson modern war studies.
It was a risky move, since grant had fewer troops than the force holed up at donelson. We welcome you to fort donelson national battlefield, a unit of the. Battle of fort henry american civil war britannica. On the other hand, i couldnt gin up more than two stars for the book s misspellings, typographical errors, amateurish maps, and minor errors of fact. Battle of fort donelson, american civil war battle february 1862 that collapsed southern defenses in the midsouth and forced the evacuations of columbus, kentucky, and nashville, tennessee, as well as a general confederate retreat in kentucky.
Another rebel fort on the ohio also fell with little fanfare. While most people, then and now, focus on the eastern theatre of the war, it was in the west that the war was won and lost. The battle of fort henry was fought on february 6, 1862, in donelson middle tennessee, during the american civil war. Ten days after the end of the fighting, the hudson north star of february 26, 1862, printed general ulysses s. Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the wikipedia article.
The capture of forts henry and donelson were major victories for grant. Smith cairo camp campaign cannon captain cavalry claimed clarksville colonel columbus command confederacy confederate cullum cumberland defense dispatches dover enemy february federal fight fire flotilla floyd foote footes force. Battle of fort henry and the movements to fort donelson on february 4 and 5, grant landed his divisions in two different locations. The battle of fort donelson official records and battle. This first new book on shiloh in a generation concludes with a cogent chapter on the consequences of those two fatal days of conflict. Following his victory at fort henry on the tennessee river, grant marched his troops to fort donelson. He knew fort henry was untenable but was determined to make a stand against the gunboats. Grants first major victory in the civil war paperback may 9, 2015. On february 6, 1862, grant and flag officer foote captured fort henry. Grant in the western theater on february 4 and 5, grant landed two divisions just north of fort henry on the tennessee river. General grant looking over the battlefield at fort donelson by paul phillipateaux. Johnston and pierre beauregard had struck first and almost pushed the union army back out of tennessee altogether. The battle of fort donelson was the first major union victory in the civil war and a major victory for ulysses s. Two friends, a river hotel, and the legend of unconditional surrender grant the battle of fort donelson on november 7, 2015 november, 2016 by bookworm history in bh blog nestled on a quiet stretch of the cumberland river, in a small, quiet town just south of the tennesseekentucky border sits an unassuming twostory building, with.
After capturing fort henry on the tennessee river on february 6, 1862, brig. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign, february 1862 the american civil war hardcover. Two battalions of troops were able to escape the fort before it was captured by the union. Battle of fort donelson vigo county school corporation. Louis, carondelet, louisville, pittsburg, tyler and conestoga. No attempt would be made to push mcclernand and smith from their camps into the river. The troops serving under grant were the nucleus of the unions successful. Fort donelson national battlefield offers events to. Lloyd tilghman to surrender fort henry, which, thanks to heavy rains. In spite of familiarity with the roads and creek crossings in the vicinity.
The battle of fort donelson, which began on february 12, took place shortly after the surrender of fort henry, tennessee, on february 6, 1862. The battle of fort donelson took place on february 11, 1862. Fort heiman in nearby calloway county, kentucky, was a confederate battery in the battle of fort henry. Grant at fort donelson it was not possible for brave men to endure more. This modern painting, circa 2006, was done by artist andy thomas, and interprets the riveredge of fort heiman, on the west bank of the tennessee river. He is the author of the forthcoming book rebels on the border. Grants official report on the battle of fort donelson. Fort henry only twelve miles away was under attack. Five books on the battle of fort donelson civil war. Grant, a native ohioan, led a union force that captured fort donelson from the confederacy. The volume describes the preparation, logistics, and the execution of the campaign. They opened tennessee for union advances up the tennessee and cumberland. Located in tennessee, fort donelson guarded the cumberland river. Battle of shiloh twoday april 67, 1862 battle in tennessee ending in union victory and 23,000 combined dead even though confederate troops under joseph e.