National Park Service Fort Donelson U.S. Department of the Interior National Battlefiel Tennessee and Kentucky 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 Confederate commander, that he could not mission before his soldiers, plodding over the news, but they were silent in Dixie. The hold out for long. The plan called for the muddy roads, could reach the vicinity. Less cause: the fall of Fort Donelson in February gunboats to engage the fort until the army than a hundred of the Confederate garrison 1862. It was the North’s first major victory of could surround it. The bombardment raged surrendered, including Tilghman; the rest, al- the Civil War, opening the way into the very for over an hour, with the ironclads taking most 2,500 men, escaped to Fort Donel son, heartland of the Con federacy. Just a month heavy blows and suffering many casualties. Grant’s next objective, a doz en miles away on before, the Confed er ates had seemed invinci- Most of the casualties came after a Confeder- the Cumberland River. ble. A stalemate had existed since the South- ate shell ruptured the boiler aboard Essex, ern victories at First Manassas and Wilson’s scalding its commander and killing many of At Donelson the Confederates had a much Creek in the summer of 1861. At tempts to its crew. strong er position. Two river batteries, mount- Fort Henry and break the Confederate western de fense line, February 7-13 ing 12 heavy guns, effectively controlled the Fort Donelson Campaign Federal gunboats travel from Federal movements shownwhich in BLUE extended from southwest Missouri Fort HenrThey on Tennessee poorly River located fort, however, was no Cum ber land. An outer defense line, built Confederate fortificationsshown in RED February 4-5 to CumberlandRiver viaOhio Federal troops land River and the Indian Territory4.5 miles downstream to the Appala chian match for the gunboats. To Grant’s chagrin, large ly by reinforcements sent in after Fort from Fort Henry; Con­ February 12 federates abandon Federal reinforcements land Mountains, had achievedFort Heiman little success. A re- downstreamthe an Confederatesdproceed evacuated Fort Heiman and Hen ry fell, stretched along high ground from 5mile s to Fort Donelson February 6 connaissance in January convinced the Union the ironclads pound ed Fort Henry into sub- Hickman Creek to the little town of Dover. Federal troops proceed to Fort Henry; Federal gunboats fire on fort; most Confederatecommand that the most vulnerable places in Within the fort Confederate infantry and defenders escape overland to Fort Donelson; Fortthat Henry line were Forts Henry and Donelson, artil lerymen huddled in the cabins against and Fort Heiman captured earthen works guarding the Ten nessee and the winter. Aside from a measles epidemic, Cumberland rivers. February 16 they lived “quite comfortably,” cooking their Unconditional surrender bruary 11 of Fort Donelson aher deral troops advan escape of some troops own meals, fighting snowball battles, wor - miles to Fort Don river North Fort~ Henry stood on land ill-suited for forts. It ing on the fortifications, drilling, and talking ~ (f) was:c:~ surrounded by higher kt,ground e lloart and sub- about home—until the grim reality of war Of-LI,'- J3,K_il~ometers ject~ to flooding. The Confede ates had begun descended on them. 3Miles a supporting work, Fort Hei man, on the bluffs across the river, but it was not finished. A It took Grant longer than expected to start joint army/navy operation against Fort Henry his men toward Donelson. Several days had been agreed to by Flag Officer Andrew passed be fore Fort Henry was secure and his H. Foote and an obscure briga dier gen eral troops ready to march. They finally got u - named Ulys ses S. Grant. The attack was to take derway on February 11. By then the weather place in early Febru ary, using the Tennes see OF CONGRESS BOTH LIBRARY had turned un seasonably warm. Lacking dis- River for transport and supply. It would be the Flag Officer Andrew H. Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. cipline and leadership and believing that the first test of Foote s ironclad gunboats. On Foote presided over Grant commanded the temperature was typical of the South in Feb- Union na val operations Federal Military District February 4, 1862, Grant be gan transporting on the upper Missis sip- of Cairo at the time ruary, many of the soldiers cast aside their his army south from Paducah, Ky. He es tab- pi River and its tributar- the Henry–Donel son heavy winter gear—an act they soon regret- lished a camp north of Fort Henry and spent ies and oversaw con- campaign took place. ted. The Confederates were so busy strength- two days preparing for the attack. struction of the na tion’s Until January 1862, ening their position that they allowed Grant’s first squa ron of iron- when his plan to at- army to march unchecked from Fort Henry to On February 6, while Grant’s soldiers marched clad gunboats. His role tack the Confederate Fort Donelson. By Febru ary 13 some 15,000 in the capture of Fort river forts was ap- overland from their camp downstream, Foote’s Henry and in the joint proved, he had fought Union troops nearly encircled the outerworks gunboats slowly approached Fort Henry. These army/navy attack on only one battle, a brief of Fort Donelson. Spor adic clash es broke out included newly constructed ironclads Cin cin- Fort Donel son helped and inconclusive en- that day without either side gaining ground. nati, Carondelet, and St. Louis, as well as the win him promotion to gagement at Belmont, Nightfall brought bitter weather—lashing converted ironclad Essex. They opened a hot rear admiral. Mo., in No vember 1861. sleet and snow that caused great suffering. fire that quickly convinced Lloyd ilghman, the .• . '')\~~:~,.-:-.'.""~-;.-,. ·i·";>..~-':~_:_ . -~. 1 ~:~ ,• ~ri·V --.:-- ~v.. :\_:...::-.: .-..· Jj'. J../§ •.; .., ii.' EXPJ.All.A"l'IONS, ·•... A WATIR 8ATT(R IE.$ iwrwl,_ fATTrAY tJ~a­ J• l(l-.:»4~,nU.,.I Ul'f'lll 9"-Tilll't' I ·:S.:,...lirn,.-r"IWr, :-r,.....,,.WJA,..s,,,, • , • ·i • , ~ ;;.\·~::!,~~:~-:;:~::= :/)(:\·;,:::'..,:: ~ :·:}•:: t ./~:·. ). I I i U~I\ To,ENEMYS.!,",!.~~;c;:.~!~ •. J ,a f i O> ,l • I t l 1 ,;.,,,1,Wl'lmlfur,l,'f-/.Jl1· ,'.,. ·: :~:\:: -~ ', '.;t_i', ~•::: ~ •.. ·1 • . ....' “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” Ulysses S. Grant, February 16, 1862 The Battle of Fort Donelson February 14 dawned cold and quiet. Early in Just as it seemed the way was clear, the South- nurses, women like Mary Ann Bickerdyke the afternoon a furious roar broke the stillness, ern troops were ordered to return to their en- cared for and comforted sick and wounded and the earth began to shake. Foote’s gunboat trenchments—a result of con fusion and inde- soldiers. fleet, consisting of the ironclads St. Louis, Pitts- cision among the Confederate commanders. burg, Louisville, and Carondelet, and the tim- Grant immediately launched a vigorous coun- With the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, berclads Conesto ga and Tyler, had arrived from terattack, retaking most of the lost ground the North had not only won its first great vict - Fort Henry via the Tennessee and Ohio rivers and gaining new positions as well. The way of ry but gained a new hero—Ulysses “Uncondi- and were exchanging “iron valentines” with es cape was closed once more. tional Surrender” Grant, who was promoted to the 12 big guns in the Confederate river bat- major general. Subsequent victor ies at Shiloh, teries. During this 90-minute duel, the Confed- Floyd and Pillow turned over command of Fort Vicksburg, and Chatta nooga would lead to his erates wounded Foote and in flicted such e - Donelson to Buckner and slipped away to Nash- appointment as lieutenant general and com- tensive damage upon the gunboats that they ville with about 2,000 men. Others followed mander of all Union armies. And Robert E. Lee’s were forced to retreat. The hills and hollows cavalryman Lt. Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest surrender at Appomattox would help put Grant echoed with cheers from the Southern soldiers. across swollen Lick Creek. That morning, Feb- in the White House. ruary 16, Buckner asked Grant for terms of The Confederate generals—John Floyd, Gideon surrender. Grant’s answer was short and direct: After the fall of Fort Donelson, the South was Pillow, and Simon Buckner—also rejoiced; but “No terms except an unconditional and imme- forced to give up southern Kentucky and much sober reflection revealed another dange . Grant diate surrender can be accepted.” Buckner, of Middle and West Tennessee. The Tennessee was receiving reinforcements daily and had ex- who considered Grant’s demand “ungenerous and Cumberland rivers, and railroads in the tended his right flank almost to Lick Creek b - and unchivalrous,” surrendered. area, became vital Federal supply lines. Nash- yond Dover to complete the encircle ment of the ville, a major rail hub and previously one of Southerners. If the Confederates did not move Soon after the surrender, civilians and relief the most important Confederate arms manu- quickly, they would be starved into submission. agencies rushed to assist the Union army. The facturing centers, was developed into a huge Accordingly, hoping to clear a route to Nashville U.S. Sanitary Commission was one of the firs supply depot for the western Union armies. and safety, they massed their troops against the to provide food, medical supplies, and hospital The heartland of the Confederacy was open, Union right and began a breakout attempt on ships to transport the wounded.