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 Army Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote captured three Confederate forts and opened two rivers, the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River, to control by the Union Navy. It was built around 1861-62 as one of three forts created to guard the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. CIVIL WAR JOURNEYS Presents Tennessee Winter: Fort Donelson, Stones River & Franklin. Fort Heiman Map Snippet. These men pressed forward to strengthen Fort Donelson. After receiving several opinions, Governor Harris decided to build Fort Henry on low ground frequently flooded by the Tennessee River. When Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston was told that Fort Donelson had surrendered, he deemed the loss “disastrous and almost without remedy.” The next three years would prove him right. Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest, in command of Confederate cavalry, was aware that the generals were contemplating surrender. is the only major Civil War-related surrender structure still standing in its original location. He asked General Buckner if Buckner would agree to take command so that he could draw out his personal brigade before the capitulation. Perhaps one of the least well-known of the Confederate forts during the Civil War, Fort Heiman played a crucial role for southerners during the War. Larger battles would be fought and many more men would lose their lives before the war ended. The gunboats emerged from the chute and lined up in battle formation, keeping their bows turned toward the fort, and they opened a tremendous fire. He intended to press the attack or hold his position so that the rest of the Confederate Army could escape while his division served as a rear guard. The generals received varying reports as to the position of the Union army and how much of the area opened by the Confederates had been reoccupied. The 200-acre property was placed on the National Register in 1978 and yet was in danger of being lost to posterity through private development. OCTOBER 16-18 . This work was named Fort Heiman. He found confusion among some of the Union forces; men wandering around with empty cartridge boxes while wagons of ammunition stood nearby. The two divisions of infantry under Grant numbered some 15,000 men and were accompanied by Foote’s flotilla of … The ironclad gunboats returned to Cairo, Illinois with instructions to hasten repairs before steaming up the Cumberland River to Fort Donelson. Captured Confederate soldiers with knapsacks and bedrolls had caused fear that the Confederates were prepared to fight the Union army back to Fort Henry. This allowed the gunboats to get closer to the fort without being fired upon by the Confederate gunners. As he was riding along, he yelled to the men to rally, not to let the enemy escape, and the men responded well. U.S. Grant sent back the ultimatum that would make him famous: “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. As the long night wore on, surrender seemed to be the best option. A site for the Tennessee River fort was not as easy to locate. During the next few days, approximately 13,500 Confederate prisoners began their trips to prison camp and an uncertain future. The Tennessee River was now open for the Union. Nobody expressed confidence in any earthen fort holding against the ironclad boats. The gunboat attack had failed. Floyd and the last load of soldiers left Clarksville by water on their way to Nashville. This news sent shock waves through the Union Army. He gave his men an inspiring talk, saying that they had volunteered to die and that now was their chance. Johnston had sent them to Fort Donelson to delay General Grant and to cover Johnston’s withdrawal from Bowling Green. Fort Henry Summary: The Battle of Fort Henry was the first significant Union victory of the American Civil War. The history of Fort Heiman and the "trilogy of forts" that controlled the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers is a story worth telling and had significant impact in the "war of the states". Fort Heiman (1862-1864) - A Confederate fort established in 1862 by Confederate Colonel Adolphus Heiman, 10th Tennessee, during the U.S. Civil War near present day New Concord, Calloway County, Kentucky. In short, controlling the rivers and railroads would be vital for the success of the Union and the Confederacy. It also peers down upon Fort Fort Henry - earthen fort located on east bank of the Tennessee River, tWelve miles from Fort Donelson. The fort was named after Colonel Adolphus Heiman whom commanded a Tennessee regiment and would later perish as a result of the campaign after being taken prisoner. Once they got through celebrating the victory against the gunboats, they began to take a long, hard look at their situation. federate forts. The closer the gunboats came to the fort, the more the Union gunners had to elevate their gun muzzles while, at the same time, the easier it was for the defending Confederates to shoot down on them. In 2010, state agencies, county officials, legislators and concerned citizens partnered together to "Save Fort Heiman", a historic Civil War site located in Calloway County, Kentucky, that was at risk of becoming a subdivision. With the start of the Civil War, Kentucky declared neutrality and stated it would align against the first side to violate its territory. He rode off to order General Smith to attack the Confederate right wing. The Battle of Fort Henry took place February 6, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and was one of the first actions of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant's campaign in Tennessee. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Smith’s Division on the west bank to attack Fort Heiman while General John McClernand’s Division moved along the east bank to Fort Henry. Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grants success here, along with his victory at Fort Donelson, paved the way for the Union to capture Nashville, Tennessee near the end of February. The battle count for both sides was 4,332 casualties. Abandoned in 1862 by Confederate forces and occupied by Union forces for about a year, reoccupied by Confederate forces in 1864. One of the critical Federal supply lines in Tennessee was to use the Tennessee River, offload supplies at Johnsonville, and then ship them by rail to Nashville. Both division commanders ordered attacks against the Confederate works without success. He placed his hat on his saber and, while mounted on a white horse, led the advance up the hill. The Confederates were ready, and opened fire with their two largest cannons, a ten-inch Columbiad and a six-and-one-half-inch rifle. He ordered Wallace and McClernand to retake the area lost during the morning attack. Fort Heiman was to be built on the western bank of the Tennessee River as a support position to Fort Henry which was built on the east bank. Grant realized that the Confederates in Fort Donelson were trying to escape and he began issuing orders to get these regiments back into line and properly equipped with ammunition. Governor Isham Harris of Tennessee decided to begin work on the defense of his state. We suggest checking online or calling ahead as you plan your visits. For the Union to prevail, armies had to be sent into Confederate territory. Buckner believed they had lost the element of surprise and had no options left. In the fall of 1864, the supplies were principally meant for the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas. The Union Navy had captured the fort while the Army, delayed by swollen streams and muddy roads, was still trying to make its way to the battlefield. The Confederate generals realized that, while they had defeated the gunboats, they were still surrounded by a superior force whose numbers had been growing while their numbers had not. Now part of the NPS Fort Heiman Unit of Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Calloway County, Kentucky. On February 13, the Carondelet scored a hit and dismounted one of the heavy guns inside the water battery. Foote used that advantage and pressed in close to the fort, silencing seven of the eleven heavy guns. Foote took advantage of the elevated water level, and used a chute around the west side of Panther Island. The weather had been warm and spring-like. The most isolated unit of Fort Donelson National Battlefield is the Fort Heiman Unit. Adolphus Heiman (April 17, 1809 – November 16, 1862) was a Prussian -born American architect and soldier; later becoming a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant, as photographed by Mathew B. Brady (National Archives), Lieutenant General Simon B. Buckner (Library of Congress), Brigadier General Gideon J. Pillow (Library of Congress). … Stay up-to-date on the Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. On Valentine’s Day, the ironclad fleet of St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Carondelet with the timberclads Conestoga and Tyler, made ready to attack. The Confederates mounted heavy guns in the water batteries, built and extended earthworks, and cut trees to open fields of fire. Johnston decided to reinforce Fort Donelson to delay Grant and cover his own retreat from Bowling Green to Nashville. The commanders received national recognition for their victories in February 1862, as they were the first major Union successes of the war. The View From Fort Heiman $ 99.00 – $ 349.00. That night the wind shifted and the temperature began to drop. Ultimately, the Confederate command decided to pull back inside the earthworks. Grant was also able to send several regiments around by water. The Pittsburgh had received two rounds in the bow between wind and water, meaning the rounds went under the armor and penetrated the wooden hull. On February 13, the Union continued to position and surround the fort. The poor location on which Fort Henry was built forced Confederate leaders to also occupy and fortify the high ground across the Tennessee River from Fort Henry. Fort Heiman, in particular, has a lack of visual history. Your tax-deductible gift will help us to preserve this irreplaceable twice-hallowed ground at Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor — forever. Found in Jackson in western Tennessee, the 4,000-acre Shiloh National Military Park commemorates the 1862 Battle of Shiloh and the following Siege of Corinth. His cavalry and artillery shelled and sank several Union gunboats. 4. Home / Civil War Prints / Fort Donelson / The View From Fort Heiman. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Fort Henry was already partially flooded, the river was rising, and a vastly superior force, including ironclad gunboats, threatened him. Fort Donelson was built on much higher ground than Fort Henry. Fort Heiman consists of remnants of a Confederate fortification constructed atop a high bluff overlooking the Tennessee River. McClernand’s Division arrived at Fort Donelson on February 12 and began surrounding the fort. There are no known photographs of Fort Heiman, Fort Henry, or Fort Donelson from the time of the American Civil War. General Floyd arrived and asked why Buckner was moving back inside the earthworks. Northern newspapers reporting the events dubbed the Union commander, “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. They were not enough. By this time, Fort Donelson had been reinforced, bringing its garrison to 15,000 to 17,000. Buckner’s Division would move into the gap between Heiman’s Brigade and Pillow’s Division. The surgeons believed that men forced to wade the water in the cold February weather would die of exposure. Morning dawned with two inches of snow on the ground and temperatures well below freezing. The only instructions left to his division commanders was to hold their positions and not to bring on a general engagement. The results were inconclusive but it gave Grant a good close view of the Confederate work at Columbus, Kentucky. The land had been subdivided into lots and many of the lots had been sold to private … The Union Army faced the daunting task of occupying and controlling this vast area. Unfortunately for the Confederacy, the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers crossed this state border and each river provided opportunity for Union invasion. The Louisville began to fall back after receiving several shots and having its tiller cables cut. Without the guns in place at Fort Heiman, the troops were recalled to the defense of Fort Henry. Johnston’s forces faced Union General Don C. Buell’s army north of Bowling Green. The Confederates fell back to the next ridge to regroup. Instead, the Confederate generals had brought the engagement to the Union Army. He also believed that, for the Confederates to have hit him so hard in one place, they must have weakened their line somewhere else. Kentucky’s decision not to follow Tennessee out of the Union forced Southern leaders to defend the Tennessee border. There was no improvement in cooperation between these generals. This confusion helped the Confederates, and the Union right continued to give way. Sign up to receive emails with our resources for educators to support their work – in the classroom and online. He left one brigade, under the command of General Lew Wallace, to hold Fort Henry. Floyd had the boat unloaded and placed a guard around it. By mid-afternoon, McClernand’s Division had been pushed off the battlefield and was trying to reform while Wallace’s Division and the brigade from Smith’s Division had crossed Indian Creek and moved into position to block the Confederate attack. Time would then force the Confederates to surrender. On January 30, 1862, Brig. Pillow reiterated his original order and Buckner reluctantly began to comply. But they made no effort to hamper, harass, or delay General Grant as he prepared to move against Fort Donelson. The engineers were told to select sites north of railroad crossings and south of the Tennessee and Kentucky State line. Historical Marker #147 in Calloway County commemorates Fort Heiman, a Confederate fort erected in 1861. As the sun rose in the eastern sky on February 16, 1862, both Union and Confederate soldiers were surprised to see white flags flying over the Confederate works. Fort Donelson National Battlefield preserves Fort Donelson and Fort Heiman, two sites of the American Civil War Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign, … Between 1861 and 1864, a triumvirate of Forts – Henry, Donelson, and Heiman – played a pivotal role in the western theater of the Civil War. Fort Donelson - earthen fort located on west bank of the Cumberland River in Dover, Tennessee. They would have to run a gauntlet through a narrow channel of one-and-one-half miles to reach Fort Donelson. Buckner ordered additional infantry regiments and artillery forward to strengthen his position. The news of the Union build-up close to Fort Henry was reported to Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman, commander of Forts Heiman, Henry, and Donelson. Grant had not anticipated this type of action from the Confederates. Are you looking for more answers, or do you have a question for other crossword enthusiasts? Fort Donelson was built on the Cumberland River on a high bluff near Dover, Tennessee. His Confederate forces abandoned the fort later in 1864. Simon Buckner was in command of the Confederate right while Bushrod Johnson was in command of the Confederate left. Buckner questioned the order. Reggie Van Stockum at Confederate Fort Heiman, overlooking the flooded remains of Fort Henry now lying underneath Lake Barkley at land between the lakes, Tennessee… Fort Heiman, the back door to the Civil War! The Union Navy was also moving. Had you been standing here at noon on February 6, 1862, you would have had a panoramic view of Union Flag Officer Andrew H. Footes flotilla of four ironclad and three timberclad gunboats as they steamed upriver and began firing rapidly into Fort Henry. He began seeking permission from his superior, General Henry Halleck, to attack Fort Henry. Civil War People and Places 1. Operating a steamboat on western waters during the Civil War could be incredibly dangerous. In May 1861, Isham G. Harris, 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. Pillow sent a telegram to Johnston, in Nashville, announcing, “…The day is ours,” and sent orders directing Buckner and all Confederate forces to withdraw inside the earthworks. The only person to see Grant’s position on the Tennessee River as weak was his commander, Henry Halleck, who began sending him reinforcements. The gunboats continued to press to within four hundred yards of the fort. The plan called for Pillow to take command of Johnson’s Division and to mass them on the extreme left of the Confederate lines. This, along with the poor position of Fort Henry, gave Foote’s gunboats the advantage. on Vimeo The post was abandoned before completion on 4 Feb 1862 when Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant approached. However, the fort was abandoned on February 4, 1862, as Union forces approached. He sent word for Wallace at Fort Henry to bring his brigade forward. Timberclad gunboats steamed all the way to Alabama, damaging bridges and capturing boats, including a partially constructed ironclad. Many more did not have the chance to jump and were found dead at their posts. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. The post was abandoned before completion on 4 Feb 1862 when Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant approached. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. Established by Confederates in January 1862 to protect Fort Henry (5) across the Tennessee River. 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