With the surrender of fort henry, the confederates faced some difficult choices. After the capture of fort henry he simply telegraphed the somewhat surprised halleck. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign, february 1862. On 10 september 1782, fort henry was attacked by indians and british in one of the final battles of the american revolution. Henry and fort donelson in february, 1862 where ulysses s.
Mindful of the threat, the confederates built fort henry and fort donelson to choke off traffic up the tennessee and cumberland rivers, respectively. Those victories, notes benjamin franklin cooling, could have delivered the decisive blow to the confederacy in the west and ended the war in that. The battle of fort henry was fought on february 6, 1862, in donelson, stewart county, tennessee, during the american civil war. Jan 02, 2018 general grant will immediately have small garrisons detailed for forts donelson and henry, and all other forces made ready for the field had u. Book fully explains the role of wellknown civil war personalities such as ulysses s. Fort donelson national battlefield preserves fort donelson and fort heiman, two sites of the american civil war forts henry and donelson campaign, in which union army brigadier general ulysses s. Tennessee, near the border of kentucky, erected by the confederates late in 1861, and captured by the union forces in february, 1862. Once past fort henry, gunboats could not be stopped short of the shoals at florence. Victories at fort henry and donelson in february 1862 were the first major steps on the norths long, hard road to victory in the western theater. These vital forts, athwart jugular veins, were grants first targets. From the traditional grace of the grand hotel to the comfort of the premium east and standard west rooms, all of our accommodations enjoy access to our extensive amenities, including an indoor pool with sauna and whirlpool spa, olympicsize outdoor pool, and. Forts henry and donelson controlled the tennessee and cumberland rivers, respectively. Overall, its an excellent account of the battle, with an introductory chapter on the union armys assaults on forts henry and donelson and their subsequent movements to pittsburg editors joiner and smith published it as a book in 2007. This is a very well researched and readable account of one of the most significant campaigns of the american civil war the federal attacks on fort henry and fort donelson, two victories that broke the confederate defensive line in the west, and set the tone for the rest of the war.
The rebels retreated east to fort donelson and grant followed. Shows the forts, roads, outwork fortifications in the vicinity of the forts, fortifications in the vicinity of the town of dover, outlying buildings, and streams. Fort donelson national battlefield, dover tripadvisor. Confederate strength in kentucky and western tennessee was centered at two fortified positions, one on the tennessee river fort henry and the other 20 miles away on the cumberland river fort donelson. Search results for civil war maps, civil maps texas. These northern victories set up the 1864 atlanta campaign that cut the confederacy in two. But forts henry and donelson remained in place, some twelve miles apart and about seventyfive miles downstream or northwest of nashville.
Civil war maps, available online, fort henry, tennessee. The rebels had sited fort henry on low, wet ground and had not completed the work when grants men showed up. An analysis of the fort henry fort donelson campaign. The fall of these forts opened the door to the deep south and the end of the confederacy. Grant and flag officer andrew hull foote captured three confederate forts and opened two rivers, the tennessee river and the cumberland river, to control by the union navy. In taking the last, he secured a vital gateway to the rest of the confederacy. If youve heard folks talk about how beautiful is the. The union army scored its first major victories at forts henry and donelson in 1862. A novel of the battle of shiloah, and chain of thunder.
The fort william henry offers upscale lodging accommodations with the perfect mix of historical elegance and todays conveniences. But inclement weather delayed the federal movement until february 12. Then river craft carried some of the troops by water around to fort donelson. Grant received this information a few days prior to 25 feb, there is little doubt the tennessee river expedition would have launched sooner and possibly with different outcome. His army reached fort henry first and captured it on february 6, 1862. It is very well written and gives a very good description of what happened in a clear and understandable way. After capturing fort henry on the tennessee river on february 6, 1862, brig. Civil war in new madrid new madrid, mo official website. The following excerpt from the book describes the unions tactical. Grant took the first big step that would take he and his. Quarstein when he presents on the capture of forts henry and donelson and how. Following the surrender of forts henry and donelson, some of the. Fort donelson s legacy portrays the tapestry of war and society in the upper southern heartland of tennessee and kentucky after the key union victories at forts henry and donelson in february 1862.
Grant, forrest and the campaign that decided the civil war, jack hurst. The unions victory at the battle of fort donelson was also its first major one since the start of the civil war. Miller covers these campaigns expertly without ever getting too detailed and bogging down the reader, a skill unfortunately not all historians possess. War departments atlas to accompany the official records of the union and confederate armies. Forts henry and donelson the key to the confederate heartland by. Visiting fort henry fort henry shiloh discussion group.
The fall of fort henry left johnston in a desperate situation. Fort henryfort donelson campaign essential civil war. Ulysses grant kept his emotions in check, his victory telegraph an. Forts henry and donelsonthe key to the confederate. Popes soldiers in the reduction of the confederate fortifi. Many people visit the homeplace 1850s farm, fort henry, and fort heiman, as well as fort donelson national battlefield, and other historical sites in the area to learn more about the civil war. Rivers with interconnecting roads and telegraph lines between the two confederate. After capturing fort henry, on the tennessee river feb. Historians usually cite forts henry and donelson as victories for the northern cause, but scholars fail to show the significance of these gains. Knowing grant and buells armies are trying to unite for a push to. The key to the confederate heartland has 1 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. The confederate command during the fort henryfort donelson.
This was the last major obstacle preventing the control of the rivers that led into tennessee and missouri and grant was poised to besiege and overcome it. Grant and flag officer andrew foote captured fort henry on the tennessee river near the kentuckytennessee border, opening up the river to federal shipping as far south as alabama. There are no known photographs of fort heiman, fort henry, or fort donelson from the time of the american civil war. The locations of forts heiman, henry, and donelson along the. Forts henry and donelson, tennessee places in history library of. Sketch showing the relative positions of fort henry and fort donelson. Dec 18, 2016 the day after the fort donelson hike with historian tim smith, a few of us ventured out to the site of fort henry along the tennessee river now kentucky lake. What were the causes and effects of the battle of fort henry. The advancements and uproar began when tennessee pulled out of the union. After the confederate army invaded kentucky in early september 1861, a long but thin line, stretching across southern kentucky from the mississippi river to cumberland gap, protected tennessee from certain federal invasion. An analysis of the fort henry fort donelson campaign, february 1862 by kendall d. With the collapse of the confederate defenses at forts henry and donelson on the tennessee and cumberland rivers, the entire tennessee valley was open to union invasion and control. Bushrod rust johnson october 7, 1817 september 12, 1880 was a confederate general in the american civil war and an officer in the united states army. The forts were located near dover, tn in what is now called the land between the lakes which was actually the land between the rivers about an hours drive northwest of nashville.
As he sent word of the capture of confederate fort henry on february 6, 1862, brig. But muddy roads and high water delayed the advance eastward until february 12. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign, february 1862 has 2 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Operations against donelson were part of an amphibious campaign launched in early 1862 to push the confederates out of middle and western tennessee, thereby opening a path into the. As a university professor he had been active in the state militias of kentucky and tennessee and on the outbreak of hostilities he sided with the south, despite having been born in the north in a family of abolitionist quakers. This letter explains the part taken by the carondelet in the battle of fort donelson. Readers trace union armies and naval actions at forts henry and donelson, shiloh, memphis, new orleans, iuka, and corinth as part of the larger strategic endeavor to capture vicksburg. History comes alive at fort henry, home of the award winning sunset ceremonies. Visit kingston, ontarios historic site and living history museum, fort henry, where visitors enter the realm of the 19th century military life in the beautiful fortification originally built in the 1830s. William crawford from plans drawn by george rogers clark. True, both forts screened the lateral rail connection between bowling green and memphis through clarksville.
Five books on the battle of fort donelson civil war books. Secession to fort henry by timelife books editors and shelby foote hardcover, anniversary at the best online prices at ebay. One could easily argue that the first step to capturing the mississippi was placed at fort henry and fort donelson. Grant to the confederate commander of forts henry and donelson during the american civil war, the president called the sessions the unconditional surrender conference. Fort henry fort henry and fort donelson military map of country between tennessee and cumberland, february 4th to march 10, 1862, plus 4 smaller maps. Grant advanced 12 miles to invest fort donelson on the cumberland river. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign, february 1862 mechanicsburg. Albert sidney johnston confederate general britannica. In 1776 it was renamed fort henry in honor of patrick henry, governor of virginia. Without a commanding general the combined garrison at fort donelson languished in place and did not appreciably improve the defenses. Forts heiman, henry, and donelson american battlefield trust. The one hope for peace he asserted, lay in depriving. 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.
Apr 14, 2015 by midfebruary 1862, united states forces had won decisive victories in the west at mill springs, kentucky, and forts henry and donelson in tennessee. Confederate forces were soon forced to give up claim to kentucky and major portions of western and central tennessee. Fort henry kingston attractions things to do national. Sketch showing the relative positions of fort henry and fort. Join us for a virtual lecture with author and historian john v. The 1862 battles for forts henry and donelson modern. Fort heiman, in particular, has a lack of visual history. There is a good map in each chapter which allows the reader to follow the story line. With these bastions under union control, foote sent gunboats upstream on both rivers, effectively outflanking the confederate position at columbus and forcing its evacuation. The capture of forts henry and donelson in tennessee were major victories for. An analysis of the fort henryfort donelson campaign. Historically speaking forts henry and donelson at 150. The battle of fort donelson was the first major union victory in the civil war and a major victory for ulysses s. Winter of 186162 the union army was still sitting at cairo il and paducah kentucky while confederate forces had invaded kentucky and were holding a line with leonidas polk at cairo, as johnston at bowling green and a force of 16000 under floyd an.
The fall of the two forts, on the tennessee and cumberland rivers in the west, handed the confederacy its first major defeat, bolstered northern enthusiasm for war, and opened an invasion route to nashville and the deeper south. Perhaps owing to its swift conclusion, the battle of memphis has not received the scholarly attention of other battles, such as vicksburg and forts henry and donelson. The homeplace 1850s farm is similar to farms civil war soldiers of the area were from. Grant targeted forts henry and donelson, he penetrated the confederacy at one of its most vulnerable points, setting in motion events that would elevate his own status, demoralize the confederate leadership and citizenry, and, significantly, tear the western confederacy asunder. The fort, half under water, fell almost effortlessly to union ironclads on february 6, 1862. Grant was an innovator in what we now call operational art. Union forces take forts henry and donelson in tennessee and. Vicksburg, has to lift the siege of chattanooga, has to get push onward through the overland campaign, etc. Fort donelson, tennessee, was built on top of a hill near dover, tennessee, and just to the east of fort henry and fort heiman. 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. After the capture of fort henry, flagofficer foote was requested by generals halleck and grant to cooperate with the latter in an attack on fort donelson, situated on the west bank of the cumberland river, near the town of dover.
The real story about nashville fort donelson shiloh. The news of the union buildup close to fort henry was reported to confederate general lloyd tilghman, commander of forts heiman, henry, and donelson. Fort donelson and fort henry, two fortifications in n. But it was at fort donelson in tennessee, during his first negotiated surrender.
Dec 17, 2018 robert henry, in his book story of the confederacy 1931, echoed these thoughts when he wrote, fort donelson, in many ways, may be considered the critical event of the civil war. Daring river raid puts bow on union conquest of forts henry and donelson. This was my first time visiting the area, and i certainly hope it wont be my last. Robert henry, in his book story of the confederacy 1931, echoed these thoughts when he wrote, fort donelson, in many ways, may be considered the critical event of the civil war. More recently 1987, frank cooling, in a study of the fall of the two forts, wrote of the expedition that broke open the west. Grants mississippi campaign culminating in the capture of vicksburg. More formidable than fort henry, general grant expected to fight a greater battle at fort donelson if he was going gain control and drive out the confederate soldiers occupying it. The fort looks over the cumberland river guarding it from enemy advancement.
Fort donelson, on the cumberland river, hosted the momentous battle of the western theater where the confederate forces surrendered, giving way to the fall of confederate rule in the. Feb 16, 2012 the battle of fort donelson is a story of geography as much as it is one of military blunder and cowardice. Jul 26, 2019 confident in his army and secure in his belief that the fort henry operation had scared and demoralized the enemy, grant presented halleck with a plan to take and destroy fort donelson and predicted that it would fall in one day. Grant had stayed at the hinson estate after capturing fort henry and fort donelson. The civil war in the east maintained a napoleonic char. An analysis of the fort henry fort donelson campaign, february 1862 has 2 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Even though poorly located, fort henry was impressive to those yankee soldiers who saw it. Selected as honorable mention for the 2004 albert castel book award. 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. The union navy had demonstrated its total dominance of the rivers.
For his service at forts henry and donelson, foote received the thanks of congress. Gott and kendall gott 2011, trade paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Homeplace 1850s working farm and living history museum. While fort henry split johnstons department in two, fort donelson robbed him at. The cumberland and tennessee rivers run nearly parallel, at a distance of about 10 m. In july 1862 foote received a second thanks of congress, this time for the battles of fort henry, fort donelson and island number ten. Beauregard, commander of the confederate army of the mississippi, chose island number 10, which stood about 10 feet above the low water mark, had 30 guns and was about 60 river miles below columbus, to be the strong point for defending the. Feb 05, 2012 surrender of fort henry and fort donelson, tennessee on february 6th, a joint armynavy operation under brigadier general ulysses s. May 31, 2020 there, the battles at fort henry and fort donelson stand out as momentous ones, which, to a great extent, paved the way ahead for the battle, and even for the war. Grant and nathan bedford forrest in this early battle. The losses of fort henry and fort donelson were disasters for the confederates.
These positions were important for regulating access to the mississippi river from the east. View all hotels near fort donelson national battlefield on tripadvisor. Forts henry and heiman were garrisoned with only 2,500 men. Foote won the first laurels by capturing fort henry while grants forces were. After repairing his flotilla, foote joined with general john pope in a campaign against island number ten on the mississippi river. Smiths book is by far the deepest and best operational and tactical treatment of the campaign and its battles.
I shall take and destroy fort donelson on the 8th and return to fort henry. Civil war maps, available online library of congress. They also demonstrated how effective properly executed joint operations could be during the civil war and served to catapult an obscure, but eminently able general named ulysses s. The fort henry evacuees arrived at fort donelson the next day with only their arms and accoutrements, having left their camp equipage behind. The events of february, 1862 at forts henry and donelson have long been overshadowed by other civil war events. General tilghman found himself in an ominous situation. The vicksburg camp ign united states army center of.
It was the first important victory for the union and brig. Dec 31, 1987 the forts henry and donelson or twin rivers campaign of 1862 was one of the decisive campaigns in the american civil war. A week after the union victory at fort henry, the two forces would face off again at the battle of fort donelson. The civil war through the camera 1912 edition open library. No effort was made to take advantage of better sites on kentucky soil along the rivers. The fort was stronger, both in natural position and artificial defenses, than. Grant and the politics of war and reconstruction, 18611868 evaluates grants leadership by analyzing his. Grant would continue his push southward until the fall of vicksburg a little over a year later. With the surrender of fort henry and fort donelson in tennessee, and the evacuation of columbus, kentucky, general p.
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