HearLore
ListenSearchLibrary

Follow the threads

Every story connects to a hundred more

Topics
  • Browse all topics
  • Featured
  • Recently added
Categories
  • Browse all categories
  • For you
Answers
  • All answer pages
Journal
  • All entries
  • RSS feed
Terms of service·Privacy policy

2026 HearLore

Preview of HearLore

Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.

ListenSearchLibrary

Adapted from Battle of Fort Henry, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for audio. This HearLore entry is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

— Ch. 1 · Neutrality Violated —

Battle of Fort Henry.

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
On the 3rd of September 1861, Confederate Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow occupied Columbus, Kentucky. This action shattered the state's declared neutrality in the American Civil War. The town sat on high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and served as a terminus for the Memphis & Ohio railroad. Confederates installed 140 large guns there along with underwater mines and a heavy chain stretching a mile across the river to Belmont. They stationed 12,000 troops within the town to cut off northern commerce flowing southward. Two days later Union Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant seized Paducah, Kentucky. This major transportation hub sat at the mouth of the Tennessee River. Neither side respected Kentucky's proclaimed neutrality after these moves. The buffer zone that Kentucky provided between North and South disappeared from defense plans. By early 1862, Confederate forces stretched too thinly over a wide defensive line from Arkansas to the Cumberland Gap.

Grant And Foote Coordinate

Halleck authorized Grant to take Fort Henry on the 30th of January 1862. Grant left Cairo, Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers on February 2. His invasion force arrived on the Tennessee River during February 4 and 5. The army consisted of 15,000 to 17,000 men in two divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. John A. McClernand and Charles F. Smith. They were supported by the Western Gunboat Flotilla under Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. Foote commanded four ironclad gunboats including USS Carondelet, USS St. Louis, and USS Essex. Three timberclad gunboats named USS Conestoga, USS Tyler, and USS Lexington operated under Lt. Seth Ledyard Phelps. Insufficient transport ships required two trips upriver to reach the fort. Grant planned to advance upon the fort on February 6 while it was simultaneously attacked by Union gunboats. This combined land-naval assault marked his first important victory in the Western Theater.

Engineering Disaster Unfolds

Construction began mid-June using men from the 10th Tennessee Infantry and slaves. Daniel S. Donelson selected the site near Kirkman's Old Landing on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River. The location sat about one mile above Panther Creek and six miles below the mouth of Big Sandy River. Unlike Fort Donelson on the west bank of the Cumberland, Fort Henry occupied low swampy ground dominated by hills across the river. Heavy rains caused frequent flooding during high tide or rainstorms. Sometimes more than half the fort went underwater including most of its armory. Adna Anderson and Maj. William F. Foster objected strongly to the site but Colonel Bushrod Johnson inexplicably approved it. Seventeen guns mounted in Fort Henry included eleven covering the river and six defending against land attacks. Most of the fort submerged underwater after heavy rains in February 1862 including the powder magazine.

Ironclads Break The Line

Foote's seven Union gunboats arrived at Fort Henry around 12:30 p.m. on February 6. They opened fire from a distance of 1,700 yards beginning an exchange that continued for over an hour. Foote deployed four ironclad gunboats in line abreast followed by three timberclads held back for less effective long-range fire. All four Union ironclads were repeatedly hit by Confederate fire despite their armor protection. The USS Essex suffered serious damage when a 32-pound shot penetrated the hull hitting the middle boiler. Scalding steam filled half the ship killing or wounding thirty-two crewmen including commander William D. Porter. The ship remained out of action for the rest of the campaign. After 75 minutes of bombardment Tilghman surrendered to Foote's fleet which had closed to within close range. Only nine guns remained above water to mount defense while the rest lay destroyed or knocked out.

Timberclad Raids Begin

Immediately after surrender Foote sent Lieutenant Phelps with three timberclads upriver to destroy installations and supplies. The flotilla reached as far as Muscle Shoals past Florence Alabama marking the river's navigable limit. Union timberclads and raiding parties destroyed supplies and an important bridge of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad located miles upriver. They captured various southern ships including Sallie Wood, Muscle, and Eastport an ironclad under construction. Citizens of Florence asked Phelps to spare their town and railroad bridge. He agreed seeing no military importance to the bridge. One source described Phelps' raid as perfect success revealing real weakness in Confederacy defenses. Phelps recruited several pro-Union Southerners to assist during the operation. Union gunboats returned safely to Fort Henry on February 12. This opened Tennessee River to Union traffic south of Alabama border.

Submerged History Remains

When Tennessee River was dammed in the 1930s creating Kentucky Lake remains of Fort Henry became permanently submerged. A small navigation beacon marks location of northwest corner of former fort from far distance away from Kentucky shoreline. Fort Heiman sat on privately owned land until October 2006 when Calloway County transferred property to National Park Service for management as part of Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Some entrenchments remain visible today though site not managed by U.S. National Park Service as part of Fort Donelson National Battlefield. It currently forms part of Land Between Lakes National Recreation Area. Grant sent brief dispatch stating Fort Henry is ours while Halleck wired Washington that flag reestablished on soil of Tennessee would never be removed. The battle opened two major water routes becoming Union waterways for movement of troops and material after capture of both forts.

Up Next

Battle of Island Number TenBattle of Fort Donelson

Continue Browsing

1862 in the American Civil WarBattles of the American Civil War in TennesseeBattles of the western theater of the American Civil WarNaval battles of the American Civil WarRiverine warfare in the American Civil WarUnion victories of the American Civil War1862 in TennesseeAttacks on military installations in the United StatesBattles commanded by Ulysses S. GrantBattles of the Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers of the American Civil WarFebruary 1862Calloway County, KentuckyForts in TennesseeHenry County, TennesseeStewart County, Tennessee

Common questions

When did the Battle of Fort Henry take place?

The Battle of Fort Henry took place on the 6th of February 1862. Union forces under Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote launched a combined land-naval assault that day.

Who commanded Confederate forces at Fort Henry during the American Civil War?

Confederate forces were initially stationed by Brigadier General Gideon J. Pillow in September 1861 but surrendered to Union forces on the 6th of February 1862. The fort was defended by troops including those from the 10th Tennessee Infantry who helped construct it earlier that year.

Where is the site of Fort Henry located today?

Fort Henry lies permanently submerged beneath Kentucky Lake after the Tennessee River was dammed in the 1930s. A small navigation beacon marks the location of the northwest corner of the former fort from a distance away from the Kentucky shoreline.

How many gunboats participated in the attack on Fort Henry on February 6 1862?

Seven Union gunboats attacked Fort Henry on the 6th of February 1862 including four ironclads and three timberclads. These vessels opened fire from 1,700 yards and engaged Confederate defenses for over an hour before surrender.

Why did Fort Henry become submerged underwater during the battle?

Heavy rains caused frequent flooding that submerged more than half the fort including most of its armory and powder magazine. Construction began mid-June using men from the 10th Tennessee Infantry and slaves at a low swampy ground site near Kirkman's Old Landing.

See all questions about Battle of Fort Henry →

In this section

Loading sources

All sources