Battle of Fort Henry Part of the American Civil War Bombardment and capture of Fort Henry, Tenn, by Currier and Ives. Date February 6, 1862 Location Stewart County and Henry County, Tennessee, and Calloway County, Kentucky Result Union victory Belligerents United States (Union) CSA (Confederacy) Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Andrew H. Foote Lloyd Tilghman # Strength 15,000 plus the 7 ships of the Western Flotilla 3,000–3,400 Casualties and losses 40 129[1]

Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers Fort Henry – Fort Donelson – Shiloh – Corinth

The Battle of Fort Henry was fought February 6, 1862, in western Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theater. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Download high resolution version (900x548, 386 KB)TITLE: Bombardment and capture of Fort Henry, Tenn. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... Stewart County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Henry County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Calloway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Image File history File links US_flag_34_stars. ... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union... Image File history File links CSA_FLAG_28. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government... Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ... Image:Brandon Roseli. ... Lloyd Tilghman Lloyd Tilghman (1816–May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War after graduating from West Point. ... Balian of Ibelin surrendering the city of Jerusalem to Saladin, from Les Passages faits Outremer par les Français contre les Turcs et autres Sarrasins et Maures outremarins, ca. ... The Mississippi River Squadron was the official name to the Union squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War and was therefore commonly known as the Western Flotilla and sometimes as the Mississippi Flotilla. History The squadron was created on 16 May 1861 and was controlled... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Andrew H. Foote John B. Floyd Gideon J. Pillow Simon B. Buckner # Strength 24,531 District of Cairo & Western Flotilla 16,171 Casualties 2,691 (507 killed, 1,976 wounded, 208 captured/missing) 13,846 (327 killed... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant, Don Carlos Buell Albert Sidney Johnston â€ , P.G.T. Beauregard Strength Army of West Tennessee (48,894), Army of the Ohio (17,918)[1] Army of Mississippi (44,699)[1] Casualties 13,047: 1,754 killed, 8... The Battle of Corinth I (also known as the Siege of Corinth) was a United States Civil War battle fought from April 29, 1862 – June 10, 1862 in Corinth, Mississippi. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The Union was a name used by many to refer to the Northern states during the American Civil War. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ... Western Theater Overview (1861 – 1865) This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. ...

On February 4 and February 5, Grant landed two divisions just north of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. His plan was to advance upon the fort on February 6 while it was being simultaneously attacked by U.S. Navy gunboats commanded by Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. A combination of effective naval gunfire and poor siting of the fort, almost completely inundated by rising river waters, caused its commander, Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, to surrender to Foote before the Army arrived. is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A riverboat passing under the Henley Street Bridge on the Tennessee River. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... A Flag Officer is a naval officer of a high rank entitling him to fly a personal flag, especially on his flagship. ... Image:Brandon Roseli. ... Lloyd Tilghman Lloyd Tilghman (1816–May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War after graduating from West Point. ...

The surrender of Fort Henry opened the Tennessee River to Union traffic past the Alabama border, which was demonstrated by a "timberclad" raid of wooden ships from February 6 through February 12, which destroyed Confederate shipping and railroad bridges. Grant's army proceeded overland 12 miles to the bloody Battle of Fort Donelson. This article is about the U.S. State. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Andrew H. Foote John B. Floyd Gideon J. Pillow Simon B. Buckner # Strength 24,531 District of Cairo & Western Flotilla 16,171 Casualties 2,691 (507 killed, 1,976 wounded, 208 captured/missing) 13,846 (327 killed...

Background

In early 1861 the critical border state of Kentucky had declared neutrality in the fight to maintain the Union. This neutrality was first violated on September 3, when Confederate Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, acting on orders from Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk, occupied Columbus and two days later Union Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, displaying the personal initiative that would characterize his later career, seized Paducah. Henceforth, neither adversary respected the proclaimed neutrality of the state and the Confederate advantage was lost; the buffer zone that Kentucky provided was no longer available to assist in the defense of Tennessee.^[2] is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A group of Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was organized in February 1861 to defend the newly formed Confederate States of America from military action by the United States government during the American Civil War. ... Gideon Johnson Pillow (June 8, 1806 – October 8, 1878) was an American lawyer, politician, and Confederate general in the American Civil War. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... For the agrarian leader and North Carolinas first Commissioner of Agriculture, see Leonidas Lafayette Polk. ... Columbus is a city located in Hickman County, Kentucky. ... Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ... Paducah is a city in McCracken County, Kentucky at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River. ...

By early 1862, on the Confederate side, a single general, Albert Sidney Johnston, commanded all forces from Arkansas to the Cumberland Gap. But his forces were spread too thinly over a wide defensive line: his left flank was Polk in Columbus with 12,000 men; his right flank was Brig. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with 4,000; the center consisted of two forts under the command of Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, also with 4,000. Fort Henry and Fort Donelson were the sole positions to defend the important Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, respectively. If these rivers were opened to Union military traffic, two direct invasion paths would lead into Tennessee and beyond.^[3] Albert Sidney Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap (George Caleb Bingham, oil on canvas, 1851–52) Cumberland Gap (el. ... Simon Bolivar Buckner Simon Bolivar Buckner (April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was a career U.S. Army officer and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, the officer who yielded to Ulysses S. Grants famous demand for unconditional surrender at the Battle of... This picture is only a teaspoons worth of how many restaurants there are in Bowling Green, but for some reason, the residents pride themselves on the overabundance of fast food places. ... Lloyd Tilghman Lloyd Tilghman (1816–May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War after graduating from West Point. ... This article or section should be merged with Battle of Fort Donelson Fort Donelson, Tennessee, was the site of the first significant Union victory of the American Civil War. ... A riverboat passing under the Henley Street Bridge on the Tennessee River. ... The Cumberland River is an important waterway in the southern United States. ...

The Union military command in the West suffered from a lack of unified command, organized into three separate departments: the Department of Kansas, under Maj. Gen. David Hunter, the Department of Missouri, under Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck, and the Department of the Ohio, under Brig. Gen. Don Carlos Buell. By January 1862, this disunity of command was apparent because no strategy for operations in the Western theater could be agreed upon. Buell, under political pressure to invade and hold pro-Union eastern Tennessee, moved slowly in the direction of Nashville. In Halleck's department, Grant demonstrated up the Tennessee River to divert attention from Buell's intended advance, which did not occur. Halleck and the other generals in the West were coming under political pressure from President Abraham Lincoln to participate in a general offensive by Washington's Birthday. Despite his traditional caution, Halleck eventually reacted positively to Grant's proposal that he move against Fort Henry. He hoped that this would improve his standing in relation to his rival, Buell. But he and Grant were also concerned about rumors that Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard would soon arrive in the theater with large numbers of reinforcements, so celerity was warranted. On February 1, 1862, Halleck authorized Grant to take Fort Henry.^[4] David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was a Union general in the American Civil War. ... Henry Wager Halleck (1815 - 1872) was an American soldier and politician. ... The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River. ... Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818 – November 19, 1898) was a career U.S. Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Presidents Day, officially known as Washingtons Birthday, is a national holiday in the United States of America celebrated on the third Monday of February. ... Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard (BO-rih-gahrd) (May 28, 1818 – February 20, 1893), best known as a general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was also a writer, civil servant, and inventor. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ...

Grant wasted no time, leaving Cairo on February 2. His invasion force consisted of 15–17,000 men in two divisions, commanded by Brig. Gens. John A. McClernand and Charles F. Smith, and the Western Flotilla, commanded by U.S. Navy Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. Foote had four ironclad gunboats (flagship USS Cincinnati, USS Carondelet, USS St. Louis, and USS Essex) under his direct command, and three wooden ("timberclad") gunboats (USS Conestoga, USS Tyler, and USS Lexington) under Lt. Seth Ledyard Phelps. There were insufficient transport ships this early in the war to deliver all of the army troops in a single operation, so two trips upriver were required to reach the fort.^[5] is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... John Alexander McClernand John Alexander McClernand ( May 30, 1812 – September 20, 1900) was an American soldier and lawyer. ... Charles Ferguson Smith (1807 - April 25, 1862), American soldier, graduated from West Point Academy in 1825, and a few years later became an instructor there, rising eventually to be commandant. ... The Mississippi River Squadron was the official name to the Union squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War and was therefore commonly known as the Western Flotilla and sometimes as the Mississippi Flotilla. History The squadron was created on 16 May 1861 and was controlled... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... A Flag Officer is a naval officer of a high rank entitling him to fly a personal flag, especially on his flagship. ... Image:Brandon Roseli. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ... The first USS Cincinnati was a stern-wheel casemate gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. ... See also USS Carondelet (IX-136) USS Carondelet, an ironclad river gunboat, was built in 1861 by James Eads and Co. ... The USS Baron DeKalb, named after General Baron DeKalb of Huittendorf, Bavaria, originally named the Saint Louis, was a Cairo-class ironclad river gunboat and one of seven city-class gunboats built at St. ... USS Essex was an ironclad river gunboat of the United States Army and later United States Navy during the American Civil War. ... Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Conestoga. ... The USS Tyler was originally a merchant ship named , acquired by the United States Navy for service in the American Civil War and converted into the gunboat USS Tyler on 5 June 1861. ... This gunboat probably helped save Union General Grant at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, as it and its sister-ship USS Tyler sent 8-inch shells crashing into the Confederate line all night as Grant waited for reinforcements. ... Seth Ledyard Phelps Seth Ledyard Phelps (1824 - 1885) was an American naval officer, politician, and diplomat. ...

Fort Henry

Fort Henry was a five-sided, open-bastioned earthen structure covering 10 acres on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River, near Kirkman's Old Landing and Standing Rock Creek, nearly opposite the mouth of the Sandy River.^[6] The point of a bastion on a reconstructed French fort in Illinois. ...

In May 1861, the governor of Tennessee appointed the state's attorney, Daniel S. Donelson, as a brigadier general and directed him to build fortifications on the rivers of Middle Tennessee. Donelson found suitable sites, but they were within the borders of Kentucky, then still neutral. Moving upriver to just inside the Tennessee border, he selected the site of the fort that would bear his name on the Cumberland River. Colonel Bushrod Johnson of the Tennessee Corps of Engineers approved of the site.^[7] Notes 1East was Secretary of State for Tennessee from 1862-1865, appointed by Andrew Johnson, the military governor of the state under Union occupation during the American Civil War. ... Bushrod Johnson Bushrod Rust Johnson (October 7, 1817 – September 12, 1880) was a teacher, university chancellor, and Confederate general in the American Civil War. ...

As construction of Fort Donelson began, Donelson moved 12 miles west to the Tennessee River and selected the site of Fort Henry, naming it after Tennessee Senator Gustavus Adolphus Henry Sr.. Since Fort Donelson was on the west bank of the Cumberland, he selected the east bank of the Tennessee for the second fort so that one garrison could travel between them and be used to defend both positions, which he deemed unlikely to be attacked simultaneously. Unlike its counterpart on the Cumberland, Fort Henry was situated on low, swampy ground, dominated by hills across the river. On the plus side, it had an unobstructed field of fire two miles downriver. The surveying team employed by Donelson, Adna Anderson, a civil engineer, and Major William F. Foster from the 1st Tennessee Infantry, objected strongly to the site and appealed to Colonel Johnson, who inexplicably approved it.^[8] Gustavus Adolphus Henry Sr. ...

Campaign for Fort Henry

The design of the fort was meant to stop traffic on the river, not to withstand infantry assaults, certainly not at the scale that armies would achieve during the war. Construction began in mid-June, using men from the 10th Tennessee Infantry and slaves, and the first cannon was test fired on July 12, 1861. After this flurry of activity, however, the remainder of 1861 saw little more because forts on the Mississippi River had a higher priority for receiving men and artillery. In late December, additional men from the 27th Alabama Infantry arrived along with 500 slaves. They constructed a small fortification across the river on Stewart's Hill, within artillery range of Fort Henry, naming it Fort Heiman. At about the same time, Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman assumed command of both Forts Henry and Donelson. At Fort Henry were approximately 2,800–3,400 men, two brigades commanded by Colonels Adolphus Heiman and Joseph Drake. They were armed primarily with antique flintlock rifles from the War of 1812.^[9] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 602 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1108 × 1104 pixel, file size: 266 KB, MIME type: image/png)Map of the campaign leading to the Battle of Fort Henry of the American Civil War. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 602 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1108 × 1104 pixel, file size: 266 KB, MIME type: image/png)Map of the campaign leading to the Battle of Fort Henry of the American Civil War. ... Slave redirects here. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Lloyd Tilghman Lloyd Tilghman (1816–May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War after graduating from West Point. ... This article is about the U.S.–U.K. war. ...

Seventeen guns were mounted in Fort Henry by the time of the battle, eleven covering the river and the other six positioned to defend against a land attack. There were two heavy guns, a 10-inch Columbiad and a 24-pounder rifled cannon, with the remainder being 32-pounder smoothbores. There were two 42-pounders, but no ammunition of that caliber was available. When the river was at normal levels, the walls of the fort rose 20 feet about it and were 20 feet thick at the base, sloping upward to about 10 feet thick at the parapet. But in February 1862, heavy rains caused the river to rise and most of the fort was underwater, including the powder magazine.^[10]

The Confederates deployed one additional defensive measure, which was then unique in the history of warfare: several torpedoes (in modern terminology, a naval minefield) were anchored below the surface in the main shipping channel, rigged to explode when touched by a passing ship. (This measure turned out to be ineffective, due to high water levels and the leaking metal containers of the torpedoes.)^[11] Polish wz. ...

Battle

Battle of Fort Henry and the movements to Fort Donelson.

On February 4 and February 5, Grant landed his divisions in two different locations, McClernand's three miles north on the east bank of the Tennessee River to prevent the garrison's escape and C.F. Smith's to occupy Fort Heiman on the Kentucky side, which would ensure the fort’s fall. But the battle would turn out to be primarily naval and would conclude before the infantry saw action.^[12] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2444x1406, 541 KB)Map of the movement from the Battle of Fort Henry to the Battle of Fort Donelson of the American Civil War. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2444x1406, 541 KB)Map of the movement from the Battle of Fort Henry to the Battle of Fort Donelson of the American Civil War. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ...

Tilghman realized that it was only a matter of time before Fort Henry fell. Only nine guns remained above the water to mount a defense. While leaving artillery in the fort to hold off the Union fleet, he escorted the rest of his force out of the area and sent them off on the overland route to Fort Donelson, twelve miles away. Fort Heiman was abandoned on February 4, and all but a handful of artillerymen left Fort Henry on February 5. (Union cavalry pursued the retreating Confederates, but the poor conditions of the roads prevented any serious confrontation and only a few captures occurred.)^[13]

Foote's seven gunboats began bombarding the fort on February 6. This was the first engagement for the Western Flotilla, using newly designed and hastily constructed ironclads. Foote deployed the four ironclads in a line abreast, followed by the three wooden ships, which held back for long-range, but less effective, fire against the fort. It was primarily the low elevation of Fort Henry's guns that allowed Foote's fleet to escape serious destruction; the Confederate fire was able to hit the ships only where their thin armor was strongest. One ship was a serious casualty, however. A chance 32-pound shot penetrated USS Essex and hit her middle boiler, sending scalding steam throughout half of the ship. Thirty-two men were killed or wounded, including her commander, William D. Porter, and she was out of action for the remainder of the campaign.^[14] is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Commander William D. Porter, between 1860 and 1865. ...

Aftermath and the timberclad raid

After the battle had lasted 75 minutes, Tilghman surrendered to the fleet, which had engaged the fort and closed within 400 yards. A small boat from the fleet was able to sail directly through the sally port of the fort and pick up Tilghman for the surrender ceremony on Cincinnati, demonstrating the extent of flooding. Twelve officers and 82 men surrendered; other casualties are estimated to be 15 men killed and 20 wounded. The evacuating force left all of its artillery and equipment behind. Tilghman was imprisoned, but exchanged on August 15.^[15] An example of a Sally port, here is the main entrance to Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tilghman wrote bitterly in his report that Fort Henry was in a "wretched military position. ... The history of military engineering records no parallel to this case." Grant sent a brief dispatch to Halleck: "Fort Henry is ours. ... I shall take and destroy Fort Donelson on the 8th and return to Fort Henry." Halleck wired to Washington: "Fort Henry is ours. The flag is reestablished on the soil of Tennessee. It will never be removed."^[16]

The ironic fact is that if Grant had been as cautious as other generals in the Union Army and had delayed his departure by two days, the battle would have never occurred, since by February 8, Fort Henry was completely underwater. Nevertheless, the population of the Union treated Fort Henry as a glorious victory. On February 7, the gunboats Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Essex returned to Cairo with whistles blowing, flying Confederate flags upside down. The Chicago Tribune wrote that the battle was "one of the most complete and signal victories in the annals of the world's warfare."^[17] is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... // The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ...

Fort Henry's fall opened the Tennessee River to Union gunboats and shipping past the Alabama border. This was quickly demonstrated. Immediately after the surrender, Foote sent Lieutenant Phelps with the three timberclads, the Tyler, Conestoga, and Lexington, on a mission up river to destroy installations and supplies of military value. (The ironclads of the flotilla had sustained damage in the bombardment and were slower and less maneuverable for the mission at hand, which would include pursuit of Confederate ships.) The raid reached as far as Muscle Shoals, just past Florence, Alabama, the limit of navigability. The Union ships and their raiding parties destroyed numerous supplies and the important bridge of the Memphis & Ohio Railroad, 25 miles upriver. They also captured a variety of Southern ships, including the Sallie Wood, the Muscle, and an ironclad under construction, the Eastport. The Union ships returned safely to Fort Henry on February 12. However, Phelps made a major blunder during his otherwise successful raid. The citizens of the town of Florence asked him to spare their town and its railroad bridge, of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Phelps told them that he would, seeing no military importance to the bridge. Yet the loss of the bridge would have essentially split the Confederate theater in half. It was this bridge that Johnston's army would ride across on their journey to Corinth, Mississippi, in preparation for the Battle of Shiloh.^[18] Muscle Shoals is a city famous for its music and contributions to American popular music, in Colbert County, Alabama, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 11,924, and is included in The Shoals MSA. // Muscle Shoals is located at (34. ... Florence Florence city is the seat of Lauderdale County, which is situated in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Head of navigation is a term used to describe the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Corinth is a city located in Alcorn County, Mississippi. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant, Don Carlos Buell Albert Sidney Johnston â€ , P.G.T. Beauregard Strength Army of West Tennessee (48,894), Army of the Ohio (17,918)[1] Army of Mississippi (44,699)[1] Casualties 13,047: 1,754 killed, 8...

After the fall of Fort Donelson to Grant's army on February 16, the two major water transportation routes in the Confederate west became Union highways for movement of troops and material. And as Grant suspected, this action flanked the Confederate forces at Columbus, causing them to withdraw from that city and Western Kentucky soon thereafter.^[19] Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Andrew H. Foote John B. Floyd Gideon J. Pillow Simon B. Buckner # Strength 24,531 District of Cairo & Western Flotilla 16,171 Casualties 2,691 (507 killed, 1,976 wounded, 208 captured/missing) 13,846 (327 killed... is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Preservation

Although closely associated with Fort Donelson, the site of Fort Henry is not managed by the U.S. National Park Service as part of the Fort Donelson National Battlefield. It is currently memorialized as part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. When the Tennessee River was dammed in the 1930s, creating Kentucky Lake, the remains of Fort Henry were submerged permanently. A small navigation beacon far from the Kentucky shoreline marks the location of the northwest corner of the former fortification. Fort Heiman was on privately owned land until October 2006, when the Calloway County, Kentucky, executive office transferred 150 acres associated with Fort Heiman to the National Park Service, for management as part of the Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Some of the entrenchments are still visible.^[20] The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Fort Donelson National Battlefield preserves Fort Donelson and Fort Heiman, two sites of the American Civil War Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign, in which Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Admiral Andrew Hull Foote captured three forts, opened two rivers, and received national recognition for victories in February 1862, the... Land Between the Lakes is a U.S. National Recreation Area located in Kentucky and Tennessee. ... National Recreation Area is a designation for a protected area in the United States usually centered on large reservoirs and emphasizing water-based recreation for a large number of people. ... Calloway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. ...

References

• Cooling, Benjamin Franklin, The Campaign for Fort Donelson, U.S. National Park Service and Eastern National, 1999, ISBN 1-888213-50-7.
• Eicher, David J., The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War, Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-684-84944-5.
• Esposito, Vincent J., West Point Atlas of American Wars, Frederick A. Praeger, 1959.
• Gott, Kendall D., Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry—Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862, Stackpole books, 2003, ISBN 0-8117-0049-6.
• McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States), Oxford University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-19-503863-0.
• Nevin, David, and the Editors of Time-Life Books, The Road to Shiloh: Early Battles in the West, Time-Life Books, 1983, ISBN 0-8094-4716-9.
• Woodworth, Steven E., Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861 – 1865, Alfred A. Knopf, 2005, ISBN 0-375-41218-2.
• National Park Service battle description

For the Civil War General of a similar name see James B. McPherson James M. McPherson (born October 11, 1936) is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis 86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. ...

Notes

Fort Warren defended the harbor at Boston, Massachusetts, for over 100 years. ... John Fulton Reynolds (September 20, 1820 – July 1, 1863) was a career U.S. Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. ... Battle of Gaines Mill Conflict American Civil War Date June 27, 1862 Place Hanover County, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of Gaines Mill, also known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as... Lloyd Tilghman Lloyd Tilghman (1816–May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War after graduating from West Point. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Animated History of The Battles of Forts Henry and Donelson
• Kentucky Lake website
• Fort Henry trail map
• Pictures of Fort Heiman

• Battle of Fort Henry is at coordinates 36°31′07″N 88°02′21″W / 36.51866, -88.03909 (Battle of Fort Henry)Coordinates: 36°31′07″N 88°02′21″W / 36.51866, -88.03909 (Battle of Fort Henry)