today we're looking at fort donaldson
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you'll find resources that go with many of the bellringer videos early in the civil war the
union was suffering setback after setback in the war early defeats at battles such as bull run and
wilson's creek had caused many in the north to really lose hope in maintaining the union
however in late 1861 and early 1862 ulysses s grant began leading union forces to victories in
the western theater of the war where the union was trying to gain control of the mississippi
river as well as the mississippi river valley the confederacy was attempting to maintain a long line
of defense through tennessee and kentucky two of their primary defenses of the region were fort
henry on the tennessee river and fort donaldson on the cumberland river grant knew that if the
union could capture these forts it would open the way for union invasion into tennessee and into
the deep south furthermore a union victory here would leave nashville a confederate transportation
center vulnerable on february 6 1862 a flotilla of union ironclad steamboats attacked fort henry
and easily forced the confederates to surrender before union forces could even reach the fort
a majority of the confederate forces defending fort henry had actually already left the fort
and had gone to reinforce fort donaldson just 10 miles away grant and his army now pushed their way
towards fort donaldson but it was not easy as a winter storm set in slowing their march and giving
confederate forces time to prepare for an attack at fort donaldson here within fort donaldson there
were approximately sixteen thousand troops under the command of general john b floyd and second
in command general gideon pillow then third in command general simon buckner who was a good
friend of ulysses s grant from their days together at the west point military academy grant's forces
numbered over 24 000. on february 14 1862 union gunboats came down the cumberland river
just behind me confederates could easily see the boats approaching from their high vantage point
overlooking the river and they opened fire with their big guns several of the union boats were
heavily damaged and they were unable to force the confederates out as they had done at fort henry
despite winning victory over the union gun boats that night the confederate commanders met and
knew that grant would soon be attacking with his ground forces and they needed to get out of fort
donaldson the only problem was the union troops were blocking the one road to nashville that was
their one mode of escape but the next morning on february 15th the confederates launched an early
morning attack against the right side of the union line the confederates were able to push the union
back and open the way for escape but surprisingly just as it looked as if the confederacy had won
confederate general gideon pillow ordered his troops to retreat back into the fort
seeing the opportunity general grant ordered his troops to attack and retake the ground that
they had just lost as well as launch a full-on assault on the right side of the confederate line
here behind me you can see the remnants of the confederate earthworks that the union soldiers
stormed and forced the confederates back as the sun went down on february 15th the confederates
were still trapped inside fort donaldson and grant was poised to attack the fort the next day
that evening the confederate commanders of floyd and pillow and buckner met and decided
the only thing to do was to surrender the fort generals floyd and pillow both boarded steamboats
and made their escape leaving simon buckner to surrender to his friend grant buckner sent a
message to grant asking what terms or conditions grant would offer grant responded by saying no
terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted this earned u.s
grant the nickname unconditional surrender grant on february 16 1862 general buckner and
general grant met here at the dover hotel and buckner officially surrendered fort donaldson
and the troops within it to the union army and all here there had been close to 2700 union casualties
killed wounded missing or captured while for the confederates there were 13 800 casualties
as they surrendered their entire force there at fort donaldson the victory here in february of
1862 for the union at fort donaldson is considered to be the first major victory of the war for the
union and thrust ulysses s grant into the national spotlight that would eventually lead to him taking
command of the entire union army and after the war becoming president of the united states
but immediately following the victory here for grant he continued to push south and by april of
1862 would be approaching the confederate railroad center at corinth and northern mississippi but
before he could reach corinth the confederates attack and the battle of shiloh occurs but that
is for another bell ringer so with that hopefully you learned something and thanks for watching
you