February, 1862.
Ulysses S. Grant takes Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee, turning the tide in the western theater of the American Civil War.
At daybreak on February 6, Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman at Fort Henry knows he is under siege. He knows a large Union force has landed on both sides of the river only a few miles downriver.
It's too much for the defenders. The confederates strike their colors. Tilghman surrenders the fort.
McClernand's division approaches the fort. He approaches just as the rear guard of the retreating rebels is departing. Smith overtakes the abandoned works across the river at Fort Heiman.
Foote sends the Conestoga, the Tyler and the Lexington up the Tennessee River, disabling rail bridges, capturing and knocking out rebel ships. The timberclads steam all the way to Muscle Shoals at Florence, Alabama, a visible symbol that Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama were all now penetrable by the Tennessee river. Columbus, Kentucky, which had been a stronghold on the Mississippi, now has its primary supply and communications rail cut.
General Grant's eye turns toward Fort Donelson, twelve miles to the east. His attack will be postponed by a few days, as Commodore Foote sent to replace the damaged ironclads to Cairo, Illinois.
With the repaired fleet approaching up the Cumberland River, Grant gives the order to advance some 15,000 men against Fort Donelson on February 12.
Opposing them from behind a network of pits are three divisions under the command of Buckner, Floyd, and Pillow. Bushrod Johnson had been in command prior to the arrival of Pillow and Floyd, and he will remain for the siege with a command.
That evening the weather begins to turn, winter weather comes in.
Then, the next day, February 14, Foote's fleet arrives, having made the long circuit from the Tennessee to the Ohio to the Cumberland River. Foote moves four ironclads--the St. Louis, the Carondelet, the Louisville, and the Pittsburg--and two timberclads--the Tyler and the Conestoga--toward Fort Donelson.
The failed attack shows that Fort Donelson will not fall as easily as Fort Henry. However, the fleet brings transports full of reinforcements. Together with additional reinforcements sent in from Fort Henry, Grant's army now consists of three divisions. Wallace's division holds the center, and Smith and McClernand are able to extend their lines further on either flank.
Grant prepares for a siege.
Snow, sleet, and ice come in.
It is dawn, February 15, the third day of the battle for Fort Donelson.
At daybreak there is a great commotion on the Union right. McArthur's brigade is hit. Two rebel divisions are moving out of the fort. The force overpowers McArthur. The rebel tide pushes forward, hitting Oglesby. McClernand's division is in danger of being outflanked. In Oglesby's brigade, the 8th Illinois will lose 242 holding its position, and the 18th Illinois will lose 228. McClernand sends for help from Wallace and Smith.
Grant tells his officers, "The position on the right must be retaken."
Grant tells Smith to attack the Fort. Smith will move two brigades forward, Cook and Lauman.
Hit on the right by advancing Yankees, and stifled by stubborn defense on the left, there is now a disagreement between the Confederate generals. Buckner wants to continue the attack and cut through the Union lines to escape to Nashville. But Pillow is now unsure of the practicability of a breakout. He wants to stay in the fort. Floyd sides with Pillow and the rebels return to the fort.
The confederates return to the positions they held at morning, losing all the ground they gained.
Buckner is alone with the garrison on the morning of February 16. Buckner has the grace to stay and suffer the same fate as his men. But Buckner actually knows Grant personally. However, Grant demands nothing but Unconditional Surrender. The phrase "unconditional surrender" stuck. US Grant, or Unconditional Surrender Grant, takes Fort Donelson on February 16, 1862. Over 12,000 rebels surrender.
In just over two weeks, Grant swung the entire western theater on its head. Suddenly, the north had command of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. The veritable fortifications on the Mississippi were now isolated. The path to Nashville opened. The Confederates abandoned Nashville on February 23, just one week after the fall of Fort Donelson.
President Lincoln received what might have been the best news of the war thus far. And Grant's name is now on Lincoln's mind.
Music credit:
Autumn Sunset by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Film by Jeffrey Meyer
Images from the Library of Congress
Satellite images from Google Maps