Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers
The trip begins at
Fort Donelson, TN
the scene of
Brig. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant's
victory and his demand for "unconditional surrender."
Please click on link below for map.
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Dover, Tennessee, United States
 After capturing Fort Henry on February 6, 1862, 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 lines,
the fort’s 12,000-man garrison surrendered unconditionally.
This was a major
victory for 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.
From Fort Donelson drive southwest on route 79 to route 45 bypass to
Jackson. Jackson
was the site of a minor engagement between Nathan
Bedford Forrest's cavalry and Union forces From Jackson
drive south to route 64 and head east to the
National Park Service Shiloh, TN Battlefield.
Please click on link below for map.
Shiloh National Military Park (national military park), Tennessee, United States
 After the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson, Confederate
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, the commander in the area, was forced to fall
back, giving up Kentucky and much of West and Middle Tennessee.
He chose
Corinth, Mississippi, a major transportation center, as the staging area
for an offensive against Grant and his Army of the
Tennessee before the Army of the Ohio, under Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell ,
could join with
Grant. In response to the Confederate move, Grant
led his 40,000
men
toward Pittsburg Landing.
Grant received orders to await
Buell’s Army of the Ohio at Pittsburg
Landing. The Confederates attacked the Union troops on the morning of the
6th and routed many of them.
Some Federals made determined stands and by afternoon, they had
established a battle line at the sunken road, known as the “Hornets Nest.”
Repeated Confederate attacks failed to carry the Hornets Nest, but massed
artillery helped to turn the tide as Confederates surrounded the Union troops
and captured, killed, or wounded most.
Johnston had been mortally wounded earlier and his second in command,
Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, took over.
The Union troops established another line
covering Pittsburg Landing, anchored with artillery and augmented by
Buell’s
men who began to arrive and take up positions.
Fighting continued until
after dark, but the Federals held.
By the next morning, the combined
Federal forces numbered about 40,000, outnumbering Beauregard’s army of
less than 30,000. Beauregard was unaware of the arrival of
Buell’s army
and launched a counterattack in response to a two-mile advance by
William
Nelson’s division of Buell’s army at 6:00
am, which was, at first, successful.
Union troops stiffened and began forcing the Confederates back.
Beauregard ordered a
counterattack, which stopped the Union advance but did not break its battle
line.
At this point, Beauregard
realized that he could not win and, having suffered too many casualties, he
retired from the field and headed back to Corinth.
Visit the
Shiloh, TN
battlefield and learn more about the battle.
From the Shiloh
battlefield drive
south on route 22 and route 45 to Corinth, MS.
Explore the
Corinth, MS
battlefields (Corinth,
MS I - April 29-June 10, 1862 and
Corinth,
MS II - October 3-4, 1862).
Please click on link below for map.
Corinth, Mississippi, United States
Following the Union victory at Shiloh, the Union
armies under Maj. Gen.
Henry Halleck advanced toward the
rail center at
Corinth, MS. By May 25, 1862,
after moving 5 miles in 3 weeks, Halleck
was in position to lay siege to the town. The preliminary bombardment began,
and Union forces maneuvered for position. On the evening of May 29-30th,
Confederate commander
Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard
evacuated Corinth and moved his troops to Tupelo.
In addition to the battle described above another battle occurred at Corinth
in October 1862 as part of the Iuka and Corinth Campaign. Please see the
Iuka, MS
(September 19, 1862) and
Corinth,
MS II (October 3-4, 1862) battle
summaries for more information.
Visit the
Corinth Civil War
Interpretive Center to learn more about the battles.
 Recommended Resources:
Return to Battlefield Road Trips
Revised
01/02/2009 |
