History of the United States, Volume 4 | Page 4

reach the sea at
Mobile, Savannah, or Charleston, cutting the Confederacy a second
time. 3. The Eastern campaigns, to take Richmond, and capture or
destroy the main Confederate army, ending the Confederacy. This
chapter deals with the Western campaigns alone.
[1862]

The opening of 1862 found the Confederates in possession of a strong
line across the southern portion of Western Kentucky, stretching from
Bowling Green, near the centre of the State, to Columbus on the
Mississippi. The two gates of this line were Forts Henry and Donelson,
on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, respectively, just over the
Tennessee border. If these forts could be taken the Confederates must
give up Kentucky.
[Illustration: Map of western Kentucky.] The Confederate Line from
Columbus to Bowling Green.
[Illustration: Map.] Fort Henry.
On February 6th, after a two hours' bombardment, Fort Henry
surrendered to General Grant, who had come up the river from Cairo
with 17,000 troops, and with seven gunboats commanded by
Commodore Foote. Most of the garrison, about 3,000, had been sent off
before the fleet opened fire, General Tilghman foreseeing that he could
not hold the fort. The land forces arrived too late to cut off their retreat,
and they escaped safely to Fort Donelson, some dozen miles to the east.
Grant marched at once to invest Donelson, and sat down before it on
the 12th with 15,000 men. The stronghold stood upon a bluff 100 feet
high. On the east it was protected by the Cumberland River; on the
north and south by two flooded creeks. Along a crest back of the fort a
mile or two ran a semicircular line of rifle-pits, with abatis in front.
Nine batteries were posted at various points along the line. Donelson
was garrisoned by 20,000 men under Generals Floyd, Pillow, and
Buckner, who quietly looked on while Grant's smaller army hemmed
them in. On the 14th the gunboats opened fire upon the water batteries
between fort and river. Commodore Foote steamed up boldly within
400 yards and pounded the opposing works with his heavy guns. He
did little damage, however, while the Confederate fire proved very
effective against him. His flag-ship, the Hartford, was struck fifty-nine
times. A shot crashed into the pilothouse, destroying the wheel and
wounding Foote himself. The boat became unmanageable and drifted
down-stream. A shot cut the tiller-ropes of the Louisville. The other
boats were also considerably damaged, and after an action of an hour

and a half, the entire fleet withdrew.
[Illustration: Map.] Fort Donelson.
But Grant's army had been re-enforced to 27,000. Three divisions,
under Smith, Wallace, and McClernand, stretched in a semicircle about
Donelson from north to south. On the night of the 14th the Confederate
generals held a consultation, and decided to try cutting their way out.
Most of the troops were withdrawn from the rifle-pits during the night,
and massed on the Union right. The weather had suddenly turned frosty,
and the Union men, without tents or camp-fires, many even without
blankets, shivered all night in the intense cold. Before dawn the
attacking column from inside, 10,000 strong, rushed through the woods
and fell upon McClernand's division, which formed the Union right.
For hours the woods rang with musketry and the southern yell. Slowly
the Confederates drove the Unionists before them and gained the road
running south to Charlotte, opening to themselves the way of escape.
This, however, they had not yet utilized, when, about one o'clock,
General Grant, who had been aboard the fleet consulting with
Commodore Foote, came upon the field. Learning that the foe had
begun to fight with full haversacks, he instantly divined that they were
trying to make their escape, and inferred that their forces had been
mostly withdrawn from opposite the Union left to make this attack
against the right. General Smith was therefore instantly ordered to fall
upon the Confederate right. As Grant had surmised, the intrenchments
there were easily carried. Meanwhile the demoralized soldiers of the
Union right and centre rallied, and drove the Confederates back to their
intrenchments. At daybreak Buckner sent to Grant for terms of
capitulation. "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender
can be accepted: I propose to move immediately upon your works,"
was the answer. The resolute words rang through the North, carrying
big hope in their remotest echo. Donelson surrendered. Floyd and
Pillow had sneaked away during the night, the former monopolizing the
few boats to transport his own brigade. Fifteen thousand troops
remained and were taken prisoners.
[Illustration: Portrait.] General John Pope.

The capture of Henry and Donelson necessitated the evacuation of
Bowling Green and Columbus. Kentucky was now clear of
Confederates, and the Mississippi open down to Island Number Ten.
This island lay in a bend of the river at the extreme northwestern corner
of Tennessee. The great stream here runs