Fort Donelson Tennessee National Park Service U.S

National Battlefield Fort Donelson Tennessee National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior General Grant at Fort Donelson, from the painting by Paul Philippoteaux. courtesy Chicago Historical Society. From Henry to Donelson Bells rang jubilantly throughout the North at the hot fire that quickly convinced Lloyd Tilghman, reach the vicinity. Less than a hundred of the news, but they were silent in Dixie. The cause: the Confederate commander, that he could not Confederate garrison surrendered, including the fall of Fort Donelson in February 1862. It hold out for long. The plan called for the gun Tilghman; the rest, almost 2,500 men, escaped was the North's first major victory of the Civil boats to engage the fort until the army could to Fort Donelson, Grant's next objective, a doz War, opening the way into the very heart of the surround it. The bombardment raged for more en miles away on the Cumberland. Confederacy. Just a month before, the Confed than an hour, with the ironclads taking heavy erates had seemed invincible. A stalemate had blows and suffering many casualties. Most of At Donelson the Confederates had a far strong existed since the Southern victories at First the casualties came after a Confederate shell er position. Two river batteries, mounting some Manassas and Wilson's Creek in the summer of ruptured the boiler aboard Essex, scalding 12 heavy guns, effectively controlled the Cum 1861. Attempts to break the Confederate de many of the sailors to death. The poorly locat berland. An outer defense line, built largely by fense line, which in the west extended from ed fort, however, was no match for the gun reinforcements sent in after the fall of Fort southwest Missouri and the Indian Territory to boats. To the army's chagrin, the ironclads Henry, stretched along high ground from Hick the Appalachian Mountains, had achieved little pounded the fort into submission before the man Creek on the right to the little town of success. A reconnaissance in January con soldiers, plodding over muddy roads, could Dover. Within the fort Confederate infantry and vinced the Union command that the most vul artillerymen huddled in the cabins against the nerable places in the Confederacy's western winter. Aside from a measles epidemic, they line were Forts Henry and Donelson, earthen lived "quite comfortably," cooking their own works guarding the Tennessee and Cumber meals, fighting snowball battles, working on the land rivers. fortifications, drilling, and talking about home— until the grim reality of war descended upon The Confederates built Fort Henry on land not them. particularly suitable for forts. It was surrounded by higher ground and subject to flooding dur It took Grant longer than expected to start his ing normal rises of the Tennessee River. A joint men toward Donelson. Several days passed army/navy operation against Fort Henry had before Fort Henry was secure and his troops been agreed to by Flag Officer Andrew H. ready. He finally got underway on February 11, Foote and an obscure brigadier general named and when his soldiers stepped out briskly over Ulysses S. Grant. The attack was to take place the rolling terrain, the weather had turned un in early February, using the Tennessee River for seasonably warm. Lacking discipline and lead transport and supply. It would be the first test ership and believing that the temperature was Flag Officer Andrew Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. of Foote's ironclad gunboats. On February 4, H. Foote presided over Grant commanded the typical of the South in February, many of the 1862, Grant began transporting his army south naval operations on the Military District of Cairo soldiers cast aside their heavy winter gear—an from Paducah, Ky., to Fort Henry. He estab upper Mississippi River at the time of the Fort act they would soon regret. The Confederates and its tributaries and Henry and Fort Donel were so busy strengthening their position that lished a camp north of the fort and spent two oversaw construction son campaign. Until days preparing for the attack. of the nation's first January 1862, when they allowed Grant's army to march from Fort squadron of ironclad his plan to attack the Henry to Fort Donelson unchecked. By Febru On February 6, while Grant's soldiers marched gunboats. His role in Confederate river forts ary 13 some 15,000 Union troops nearly encir the capture of Fort was approved, he had cled the outerworks of Fort Donelson. Spor overland from their camp downstream, Foote's Henry and in the joint fought only one battle, gunboats slowly approached Fort Henry. These army/navy attack on a brief and inconclu adic clashes broke out that day without either included the newly constructed ironclads Cin Fort Donelson helped sive engagement at side gaining ground. Nightfall brought bitter cinnati, Carondolet, and Sf. Louis, as well as win him promotion to Belmont, Mo., in No weather—lashing sleet and snow that caused rear admiral. vember 1861. the converted ironclad Essex. They opened a great suffering. "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." Ulysses S. Grant, February 16, 1862 The Battle of Fort Donelson The morning of February 14 dawned cold and to Nashville and safety. The battle on February came in search of loved ones or to offer sup quiet. Early in the afternoon a furious roar broke 15 raged all morning, the Union army grudgingly port. Although not officially recognized as nurs the stillness, and the earth began to shake. retreating step by step. Just as it seemed the es, women such as Mary Ann Bickerdyke cared Foote's Union gunboat fleet, consisting of the way was clear, the Southern troops were ordered for and comforted sick and wounded soldiers. ironclads Sf. Louis, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and to return to their entrenchments—a result of con Carondolet, and the timberclads Conestoga and fusion and indecision among the Confederate With the capture of Fort Donelson and its sister Tyler, had arrived from Fort Henry via the Ten commanders. Grant immediately launched a vig fort, Henry, the North had not only won its first nessee and Ohio rivers and were exchanging orous counterattack, retaking most of the lost great victory; it also gained a new hero—"Un "iron valentines" with the 11 big guns in the ground and gaining new positions as well. The conditional Surrender" Grant, who was promot Southern water batteries. During this one and way of escape was closed once more. ed to major general. Subsequent victories at one-half hour duel, the Confederates wounded Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga would lead Foote and inflicted such extensive damage Floyd and Pillow turned over command of Fort to his appointment as lieutenant general and upon the gunboats that they were forced to re Donelson to Buckner and slipped away to Nash commander of all Union armies. Robert E. treat. The hills and hollows echoed with cheers ville with about 2,000 men. Others followed cav Lee's surrender at Appomattox would put Grant from the Southern soldiers. alryman Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest across in the White House. swollen Lick Creek. That morning, February 16, The Confederate generals—John Floyd, Gideon Buckner asked Grant for terms. Grant's answer After the fall of Fort Donelson, the South was Pillow, Simon Buckner, and Bushrod Johnson — was short and direct: "No terms except an un forced to give up southern Kentucky and much also rejoiced; but sober reflection revealed an conditional and immediate surrender can be ac of Middle and West Tennessee. The Tennessee other danger. Grant was receiving reinforce cepted." Buckner surrendered. and Cumberland rivers, and railroads in the ments daily and had extended his right flank al area, became vital Federal supply lines. Nash most to Lick Creek to complete the encirclement Soon after the surrender, civilians and relief ville was developed into a huge supply depot of the Southerners. If the Confederates did not agencies rushed to assist the Union army. The for the western Union armies. The heartland of move quickly, they would be starved into sub U.S. Sanitary Commission was one of the first the Confederacy was open, and the Federals mission. Accordingly, they massed their troops to provide food, medical supplies, and hospital would press on until the "Union" became a fact against the Union right, hoping to clear a route ships to transport the wounded. Many civilians once more. John B. Floyd (top), politician turned general, took charge of Fort Don elson shortly before the siege began. As his situ ation grew more hope less, and fearing capture because he might be ar rested in the North for al legedly transferring arms to southern arsenals while secretary of war in the Buchanan adminis tration, Floyd turned command over to Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow (center), and escaped upriverto Nashville. Pil low also chose escape over capture and gave command to Brig. Gen. Simon B. Buckner (bot tom), West Point gradu ate and former classmate of Grant's who had come to Fort Donelson early in 1862 with reinforcements from Kentucky. Buckner would stay and share the Plan of Fort Donelson, from Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. fate of his men. Fort Donelson Today Reconstructed Confederate Log Hut James P. Bagsby The Dover Hotel Eastern National Lower Water Battery James P. Bagsby Confederate Monument James P. Bagsby Fort Donelson National Cemetery Eastern National A Guide to the Park The following guide, keyed to the map below, highlights major sites within the park. O Confederate Monument Confederate soldiers son. Although the southerners still held the Ohio, and as far away as Boston, Mass.

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