FORT HENRY AND FORT DONEL SON. These forts were constructed by the Confederates just south of the boundary line between Kentucky and Tennessee, the former on the right bank of the Tennessee River, the latter on the left bank of the Cumberland, the distance between the two being 12 miles. On 28 Jan. 1862 Commodore Foote and General Grant asked General. Halleek's permission to take Fort Henry. Halleck assented, and on the morning of 2 February Foote's flotilla of ironclads and gunboats, followed by a fleet of transports, carrying Grant's troops left Cairo, anchoring six miles belpw Fort Henry on the morning of the 4th The fort was defended by 17 heavy guns, and its land approach was covered by rifle-pits held by 3,000 men. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman was in command. About 11.20 4.1.1. of the 6th Foote steamed up toward the fort and attacked it with four ironclads, Tilgh man, with about 90 men to work 11 guns bear ing on the river, returning the fire. After a contest of an hour and a quarter Tilghman hauled down his flag and surrendered with 78 men, having lost 16 killed and wounded. The 3,000 men in the rifle-pits retreated to Fort Donelson. The fleet had 29 killed and wounded. Grant, who had landed his troops six miles be low the fort, arrived too late to take part in the action.
Grant reported to Halleck that on the 8th he would take and destroy Fort Donelson. Foote, however, was compelled to return to Cairo for repairs to his fleet, and the movement was de ferred until the morning of the 12th, when Grant marched across the country, with about 16,000 men, arriving before Fort Donelson in the evening. The fort was on a commanding hill, 120 feet above the level of the Cumberland, with three heavy batteries commanding the river, and a line of rifle-pits to defend the land approach. On the morning of the 13th the fort and works were held by 18,000 men, under com mand of General Floyd. The rifle-pits, two and a half miles in extent, were held by General Buckner on the right and General Pillow on the left.
Grant formed his line of investment with General McClernand on the right and General Smith on the left, and at dawn of the 13th opened a furious cannonade and sharp skir mishing. In the evening Foote's flotilla and re inforcements for Grant arrived— Crufts' bri gade and several regiments from Fort Henry and Cairo. These were formed into a division of 10,000 men, under Gen. Lew Wallace, and put in the line between McClernand and Smith, raising Grant's force to 26,000 men. At 2 P.m. of the 14th Foote attacked the fort, and at the end of an hour and a half was compelled to withdraw, two of his ironclads being entirely disabled and the other two partially so. He had 54 men killed and wounded. It was then concluded that Foote should return to Cairo and repair damages, while Grant should perfect his investment, fortify his lines and await the ar rival of reinforcements and the return of Foote.
The Confederates shaped the course of events otherwise. They decided to break the right of Grant's investing line and escape by roads lead ing to Nashville. In pursuance to the plan
adopted, Pillow, on the Confederate left, sup ported by a part of Buckner's command, ad vanced at daybreak of the 15th, with 10,000 men, and after a hard fight gained the right of McClernand's line and forced it back. McCler nand called for assistance and, in the absence of Grant, who had gone to confer with Foote, Lew Wallace sent Crufts' brigade to his support, but the Confederates continued to gain the advan tage, pushing back McClernand's two right bri gades and their supports. Buckner made an at tack upon McClernand's left and was repulsed; but rallying his men, he renewed the attack, and the whole right wing of Grant's army was forced back, the Confederates still following up their advantage, when Wallace threw Thayer's brigade to the right and across their line of advance and after a sharp fight, checked them, driving some back to their entrenchments. It was 2 P.M. when Grant came on the field to find nearly half his army driven from position and the way open for Confederate escape. He ordered a counter-attack. Smith, commanding on the left, formed a brigade in column, led it under severe fire, and seized the Confederate works in his front and on the high ground sur rounding the fort. Wallace and part of Mc Clernand's forces, advancing on the right, gained the greater part of the ground lost early m the day, and by night the line of investment was re-established. Grant made preparations to renew the attack early next morning, but during the night the Confederate commanders came to the conclusion that escape was impos sible, that Grant was too strong to be beaten and that nothing remained but a surrender. Floyd, senior in rank, announced personal rea sons against a surrender and passed the com mand to Pillow, who in turn passed it to Buck ner. Floyd and Pillow, with the aid of two small steamboats, succeeded in getting away with about 1,200 officers and men, principally of Floyd's old brigade, and Colonel Forrest, with some 500 cavalry and other small detach ments, escaped in the night by the river road.
At an early hour of the 16th, as Grant was about to renew the attack Buckner sent him a note proposing "the appointment of commission ers to agree upon the terms of capitulation,,' and suggesting an armistice until 12 o'clock. Grant replied: "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works?' Buckner surrendered 14,500 men, 57 guns and a large amount of ammunition and stores. The Union loss, army and navy, was 510 killed, 2,152 wounded and 224 missing. The Confederate loss, killed and wounded, was about 2,000. The capture of Forts Henry and Donelson broke the first line of Confederate defense in the Missis sippi Valley, and caused the abandonment of Columbus, Bowling Green and Nashville. Con sult 'Official Records' (Vol. VII) ; Force, 'From Fort 'Henry to Corinth' ; Swinton, 'Deci sive Battles of the War' ; The Century Com pany's 'Baffles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. I) ; Grant, 'Personal Memoirs' (Vol. I).