Battle of Fort Donelson |
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Location: |
Stewart County, Tennessee
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Campaign: |
Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers
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Combatants |
District of Cairo Western Flotilla
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Army of Central Kentucky Fort Donelson garrison
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After capturing Fort Henry on February 6, 1862, Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant advanced cross-country to invest Fort Donelson. On February 16, 1862, after the failure of their all-out attack aimed at breaking through Grant’s investment lines, the fort’s 12,000-man garrison surrendered unconditionally. This was a major victory for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and a catastrophe for the South. It ensured that Kentucky would stay in the Union and opened up Tennessee for a Northern advance along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Grant received a promotion to major general for his victory and attained stature in the Western Theater, earning the nom de guerre “Unconditional Surrender.” (NPS summary)
Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, February-June, 1862 |
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Battles of the American Civil War: 1862 |
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| Eastern Theater | | | Western Theater | | | Trans-Mississippi Theater | | | Lower Seaboard Theater | |
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