Identifier: mississippivalle00fisk (find matches)
Title: The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Fiske, John, 1842-1901
Subjects: Mississippi River Valley -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Southwest, Old -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Campaigns
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin and Company
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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e gunboat flotilla,added his solicitations, until at last the requisitepermission was obtained; and on February 2Grant and Foote started up the Tennessee with17,000 men and seven gunboats. The success ofthe movement was due to its promptness, as isusual in warfare, in which more strikingly than inany other pursuit of life we see the truth of theCapture of adage that time is money. Fort HenryFort Henry, ^g^g (Joomcd by the mere quickness ofthe movement. General Tilghman, the command-ant, had but 3400 men, and saw at once that itwas too late for reinforcements to reach him. Ac-cordingly he sent most of his force over to FortDonelson, remaining himself with a small detach-ment to cover the retreat. This was sound policyand apparently the only course open to the com-mander of Fort Henry; the struggle must be madeat Fort Donelson. General Tilghman worked hisfew men and guns admirably, and after a briefbombardment by the fleet he surrendered FortHenry with only 96 men. A convenient base was
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FORT DONELSON, FEBRUARY 13-16, 1862 Fort Donelson and Shiloh 57 thus established against Fort Donelson, to whichthe Union forces now hastened. Fort Donelson was situated on a plateau near thegreat bend of the Cumberland river, elevated aboutone hundred feet above the shore-line. ^ .,. „ Fosition of It consisted of two water-batteries on Fort Donel-the hillside, protected by a bastioned ^^^earthwork of irregular outline on the summit, en-closing about one hundred acres. ^ To the northof it Hickman creek, flowing into the Cumberlandand filled at this season with backwater, formed animpassable barrier. About half a mile to the southIndian creek emptied into the river, and just southof Indian creek stood the little town of Dover,whence ran the road to Nashville by way of Char-lotte, affording the only available line of retreat incase of an overwhelming land attack. To the westor rear of fortress and town the country is cut upby several small brooks flowing into Hickman andIndian creeks,

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