13 - Thunder On The Rivers Tennessee And Cumberland: Forts Henry And Donelson

About this episode: 

At 750,000 square miles, the Confederacy was huge, and to put down the rebellion, Mr. Lincoln's armies had to go on the offensive. They would have to be the aggressor. It was a daunting task; even more so in the Confederate West where there existed poor transportation and communication networks. Known early on as The Western Department or Department Number Two, three major rivers offered invasion avenues into the heartland of the south: The Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland. This is the story of a federal campaign led by an officer who was a most unlikely hero, one forced to resign from the United States Army back in 1854. This is about his campaign to blast open doors into the interior of the Confederacy. This is the story of Thunder On The Rivers Tennessee And Cumberland: Forts Henry And Donelson.

Some Characters Mentioned In This Episode: 

Albert Sidney Johnston

Gideon Pillow

James K. Polk

Leonidas Polk

Bolivar Buckner

Daniel S. Donelson

Gustavus A. Henry

James B. Eads

Andrew Hull Foote

Henry Halleck

Ulysses S. Grant

 

Other References From This Episode:

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Battle Of Fort Henry

 

Roads to Forts Henry and Donelson

 

Map Of Fort Donelson

 

Get The Guide:

Want to learn more about the Civil War? A great place to start is Fred's guide, The Civil War: A History of the War between the States from Workman Publishing. The guide is in its 9th printing.

 

*Title Image by Paul Dominique Philippoteaux

 

Producer: Dan Irving