FORT HENRY AND FORT DONELSON FEBRUARY 1862

Probing attacks by the Union on the Confederates’ long defensive line in southern Kentucky in autumn 1861 demonstrated the potential threat posed by the Union’s superior naval power. The rivers, which ran deep into Confederate territory, were weak spots in the defensive line so Confederate General Albert S. Johnston, who had command of all Confederate forces from the Appalachian mountains to the Mississippi, ordered the construction of forts along the rivers. Chief of these were Fort Henry on the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland.

In spite of the forts General Ulysses S. Grant planned to attack the Confederates down these rivers so that he could avoid the more heavily defended Confederate stronghold of Columbus on the Mississippi. On February 3, 1862, Grant embarked from Cairo with a force of 15,000 men carried on river transports and escorted down the Tennessee River by a fleet of shallow-draft ironclad gunboats, commanded by Flag Officer Andrew Foote. Fort Henry was only lightly defended and following a bombardment from Foote’s gunboats on February 6, the Confederate commander, Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman surrendered, without Grant’s troops having to fire a shot. Tilghman ordered his infantry to retreat to the nearby Fort Donelson, 12 miles east and Grant’s next objective.

Fort Donelson was in a stronger defensive position high above a bend of the Cumberland River, with two creeks to the landward side, and batteries comprising 12 heavy guns and eight additional field guns. The garrison initially numbered 6,000, under the command of Brigadier General Bushrod R. Johnson. To reinforce the defenders General Albert S. Johnston sent two divisions—one under Brigadier General John B. Floyd, who assumed command of the fort; the other commanded by Simon B. Buckner—from his main army at Bowling Green, and a further detachment under Brigadier General Gideon Pillow, bringing total Confederate numbers to around 21,000.

The winter weather slowed Grant’s progress along the roads from Fort Henry but by February 12 his infantry and cavalry were in position to besiege Fort Donelson. Grant first attacked on the Confederate left on the 13th but was beaten back. The next day his force was reinforced by a division sent from Major General Don C. Buell’s army near Bowling Green, under Brigadier General “Lew” Wallace, and the same day Grant launched a serious assault on the fort. At 15:00 Foote took six gunships, which had arrived the night before, to attack the fort from the river. However, the Confederates’ batteries inflicted heavy damage to the fleet, seriously wounding Foote, and by the end of the day it became clear that the fort’s defenses were too strong for a water-borne assault.

Fort Donelson’s commanders decided they could not survive a siege and planned to break out through Grant’s lines and escape to the south. In the morning of the 15th the Confederates attacked and broke through Grant’s right wing, leaving the way open for the garrison’s forces to escape towards Nashville. However, confusion and hesitation between the Confederate commanders led to their advance being halted and by the end of the day the Union, despite losing 2–3,000 men compared to Confederate losses of about 500, pushed the Confederates back to their original defenses. During the night the Confederate generals decided that they were unable to break out and had no option but to surrender the garrison. Floyd and Pillow escaped upriver with two Virginian regiments, Colonel Nathan B. Forrest took his Tennessee cavalry regiment along an unguarded route and on the morning of February 16 Buckner requested a cease-fire to discuss surrender terms. Grant famously replied, “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” Buckner was forced to order the remaining 13,000 men in the garrison to lay down their arms. The loss of Fort Donelson was a serious blow to the Confederates as it broke open Johnston’s defensive line, forcing him to fall back through Tennessee.