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Battle of Fort Donelson | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Strategic Context And Military Situation —
Battle of Fort Donelson.
~9 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
The Battle of Fort Donelson began on the 12th of February 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Union forces had just captured Fort Henry on February 6, opening the Tennessee River for their troop and supply movements. About 2,500 Confederate defenders escaped from Fort Henry by marching 12 miles east to Fort Donelson. This move left the Confederates with a difficult choice regarding their defensive line across Tennessee.
Union General Ulysses S. Grant moved his army overland from Fort Henry to Fort Donelson between February 11 and 13. He conducted several small probing attacks during this period. The Union forces numbered nearly 25,000 men, though only 15,000 were available at the start of the battle. Confederate forces under Brigadier General John B. Floyd consisted of approximately 16,171 men.
Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston divided his two main forces after Fort Henry fell. Major General Leonidas Polk commanded 12,000 men at Columbus, Kentucky, while William J. Hardee led 14,000 men at Bowling Green, Kentucky. Fort Donelson held about 5,000 men initially, but Floyd and Buckner were moving their 8,000 troops from Russellville, Kentucky, to Clarksville, Tennessee.
Grant's superiors, including Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck, felt that continuing to Fort Donelson was risky despite Grant's success at Fort Henry. Halleck had little confidence in Grant, considering him reckless. Grant never suspected his superiors were considering relieving him, but he knew any delay might allow Halleck to cancel the operation. On February 6, Grant wired Halleck stating he would take and destroy Fort Donelson on the 8th and return to Fort Henry.
Preliminary Movements And Skirmishes
On February 12, most Union troops departed Fort Henry where they waited for gunboats to return and additional troops to arrive. The Union forces proceeded about 5 miles along the two main roads leading between the forts. They were delayed by a cavalry screen commanded by Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest's troops spotted a detachment from McClernand's division and opened fire against them.
A brief skirmish ensued until orders from Buckner arrived to fall back within the entrenchments. After this withdrawal, Union troops moved closer to the Confederate defense line while trying to cover possible escape routes. McClernand's division made up the right of Grant's army with C.F. Smith's division forming the left.
The USS Carondelet became the first gunboat to arrive up the river. It promptly fired numerous shells into the fort before retiring. Grant arrived on February 12 and established his headquarters near the left side of the front at the Widow Crisp's house.
On February 13, several small probing attacks occurred against Confederate defenses despite Grant's orders that no general engagement be provoked. On the Union left, C.F. Smith sent two brigades under Colonels Jacob Lauman and John Cook to test defenses along his front. The attack suffered light casualties but made no gains. Smith kept up harassing fire throughout the night.
On the right, McClernand ordered an unauthorized attack. Two regiments of Colonel William R. Morrison's brigade and one regiment from Colonel W.H.L. Wallace's brigade were ordered to seize Redan Number 2 battery. Isham N. Haynie, colonel of the 48th Illinois, was senior in rank to Morrison. When Morrison was wounded during the attack, leadership ambiguity disappeared. For unknown reasons Haynie never fully took control and the attack failed. Some wounded men caught between lines burned to death in grass fires ignited by artillery.
Naval Assault And Tactical Failures
At 11:00 a.m. on February 14, Floyd held a council of war in his headquarters at the Dover Hotel. There was general agreement that Fort Donelson was probably untenable. General Pillow was designated to lead a breakout attempt to evacuate the fort and march to Nashville. Troops moved behind lines and the assault readied, but Grant sent them back reeling.
Foote's flotilla arrived on the Cumberland River in mid-afternoon on February 14, bringing six gunboats and another 10,000 Union reinforcements on twelve transport ships. As soon as Foote arrived, Grant urged him to attack the fort's river batteries. Although reluctant before adequate reconnaissance, he moved his gunboats close to shore by 3:00 p.m. and opened fire.
The Confederate artillery pummeled the fleet with heavy cannon fire and the assault ended by 4:30 p.m. Foote was wounded in his foot. The wheelhouse of his flagship USS St. Louis was carried away, leaving it floating helplessly downriver. USS Louisville was also disabled, and the Pittsburg began taking on water. Damage to the fleet was significant and it retreated downriver.
Of the 500 Confederate shots fired, St. Louis was hit 59 times, Carondelet 54 times, Louisville 36 times, and Pittsburg 20 times. Eight Union sailors were killed and 44 were wounded while Confederates lost none during this engagement. Captain Joseph Dixon of the river batteries had been killed the previous day during Carondelet's bombardment.
Grant realized any success at Fort Donelson would have to be carried by the army without strong naval support. He wired Halleck that he might have to resort to a siege. Historian Kendall Gott suggested it would have been more prudent for the fleet to stay as far downriver as possible using longer-range guns.
The Confederate Breakout Attempt
At dawn on February 15, the Confederates launched an assault led by Pillow against McClernand's division on the unprotected right flank of the Union line. Grant was unaware of the battle and had headed off to visit Flag Officer Foote on his flagship downriver. He left orders that no general initiate an engagement and no one was designated second-in-command during his absence.
The Confederate plan required Pillow to push McClernand away and take control of Wynn's Ferry and Forge Roads, the main routes to Nashville. Buckner was to move his division across Wynn's Ferry Road and act as rear guard for the remainder of the army withdrawing from Fort Donelson. A lone regiment from Buckner's division, the 30th Tennessee, stayed in trenches to prevent Federal pursuit.
After two hours of heavy fighting, Pillow's men pushed McClernand's line back and opened the escape route. It was in this attack that Union troops in the West first heard the famous rebel yell. The attack succeeded initially due to inexperience and poor positioning of McClernand's troops plus a flanking attack from Forrest's cavalry.
Union brigades under Colonels Richard Oglesby and John McArthur were hit hardest but withdrew in generally orderly fashion to regroup and resupply. Around 8:00 a.m. McClernand sent a message requesting assistance from Lew Wallace. Wallace had no orders from Grant to respond and declined the initial request. A second messenger arrived at Wallace's camp crying that their right flank was turned and the whole army was in danger.
Union Counterattack And Final Surrender
Grant returned to his troops in the early afternoon after being notified by an aide. He first visited C.F. Smith on the Union left where he ordered the 8th Missouri and 11th Indiana to the Union right. Then he rode over icy roads to find McClernand and Wallace. Grant was dismayed at the confusion and lack of organized leadership. McClernand grumbled that the army wanted a head. Grant replied that the position on the right must be retaken.
True to his nature, Grant did not panic at the Confederate assault. As he rode back from the river, he heard gun sounds and sent word to Foote to begin naval gunfire demonstration. Grant observed some Confederates fighting with knapsacks filled with three days of rations, implying they were attempting to escape rather than pressing for combat victory. He told an aide that the one who attacks first now will be victorious.
Despite the successful morning attack, Pillow ordered his men back to trenches by 1:30 p.m. Buckner confronted Pillow, but Floyd intended to countermand the order. Pillow argued his men needed to regroup before evacuating. Floyd also believed Smith's division was heavily reinforced so the entire Confederate force was ordered back inside Fort Donelson lines giving up ground gained earlier that day.
Grant moved quickly to exploit the opening telling Smith all had failed on their right and Smith must take Fort Donelson. Smith formed two brigades to make an attack. Lauman's brigade would be main attack spearheaded by Colonel James Tuttle's 2nd Iowa Infantry while Cook's brigade acted as feint to draw fire away.
Command Decisions And Leadership Dynamics
Nearly 1,000 soldiers on both sides had been killed with about 3,000 wounded still on field when snowstorm arrived. Some froze to death in the cold weather after many Union soldiers threw away blankets and coats. Inexplicably generals Floyd and Pillow were upbeat about the day's performance wiring General Johnston at Nashville that they won a great victory.
General Simon Bolivar Buckner argued they were in desperate position getting worse with arrival of Union reinforcements. At final council of war in Dover Hotel at 1:30 a.m. on February 16, Buckner stated if C.F. Smith attacked again he could only hold for thirty minutes. He estimated cost of defending fort would reach seventy-five percent casualty rate.
Floyd turned over command to Pillow who also feared Northern reprisals. In turn Pillow passed command to Buckner who agreed to remain behind and surrender army. During night Pillow escaped by small boat across Cumberland River. Floyd left next morning on only steamer available taking two regiments of Virginia infantry.
Disgusted at show of cowardice Nathan Bedford Forrest announced he did not come here to surrender his command. He stormed out meeting leading about seven hundred cavalrymen on escape from fort. Forrest's horsemen rode toward Nashville through shallow icy waters of Lick Creek encountering no enemy confirming many more could have escaped same route.
Aftermath And Strategic Consequences
Union losses totaled 2,691 men including 507 killed, 1,976 wounded, and 208 captured or missing. Confederate casualties reached 13,846 with 327 killed, 1,127 wounded, and 12,392 captured or missing. Cannons were fired and church bells rung throughout North upon news of victory. The Chicago Tribune wrote that Chicago reeled mad with joy.
Grant was promoted to major general of volunteers second in seniority only to Henry W. Halleck in West. After newspapers reported Grant won battle with cigar clamped in teeth he was inundated with cigars sent from admirers. Before that he had been light smoker but after finding he couldn't give them all away took to smoking them contributing to later death from throat cancer.
Close to third of Albert Sidney Johnston's forces became prisoners now. Grant captured more soldiers than all previous American generals combined depriving Johnston of over twelve thousand soldiers who might have provided decisive advantage at impending Battle of Shiloh. Rest of Johnston's forces stood 200 miles apart between Nashville and Columbus with Grant's army between them.
General Buell's army threatened Nashville while John Pope's troops threatened Columbus. Johnston evacuated Nashville on February 23 surrendering important industrial center to Union making it first Confederate state capital to fall. Columbus was evacuated March 2. Most Tennessee fell under Union control as did all Kentucky though both remained subject to invasion and periodic Confederate raiding.
The Battle of Fort Donelson began on the 12th of February 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Union forces had just captured Fort Henry on February 6, opening the Tennessee River for their troop and supply movements.
Who commanded the Confederate forces at Fort Donelson?
Confederate forces under Brigadier General John B. Floyd consisted of approximately 16,171 men. Albert Sidney Johnston divided his two main forces after Fort Henry fell, with Major General Leonidas Polk commanding 12,000 men at Columbus, Kentucky, while William J. Hardee led 14,000 men at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
How many soldiers were lost during the Battle of Fort Donelson?
Union losses totaled 2,691 men including 507 killed, 1,976 wounded, and 208 captured or missing. Confederate casualties reached 13,846 with 327 killed, 1,127 wounded, and 12,392 captured or missing.
What happened to Ulysses S. Grant after winning the Battle of Fort Donelson?
Grant was promoted to major general of volunteers second in seniority only to Henry W. Halleck in West. After newspapers reported Grant won battle with cigar clamped in teeth he was inundated with cigars sent from admirers.
Why did Nathan Bedford Forrest escape Fort Donelson?
Disgusted at show of cowardice Nathan Bedford Forrest announced he did not come here to surrender his command. He stormed out meeting leading about seven hundred cavalrymen on escape from fort.