Fort Donelson

Fort Donelson (1861-1865) - A Confederate Army post established in 1861 during the U.S. Civil War on the Cumberland River in Stewart County, Tennessee. Named for Confederate General Daniel Donelson (Cullum 396). Captured by Union Forces under General Ulysses S. Grant, (Cullum 1187), on 16 Feb 1862 in the Battle of Fort Donelson. Abandoned in 1865 at the end of the war. Fort Donelson Upper River Battery. Fort Donelson Field Artillery Piece with Limber. Fort Donelson Lower River Battery. Fort Donelson History A 97 acre Confederate Army post established early in 1861 at the beginning of the U.S. Civil War. The post was located at a strategic bend on the Cumberland River. Fort Donelson Lower Battery 10" Columbiad Cannon. Fort Donelson Lower Battery Powder Magazine. Fort Donelson was captured by Union Forces under General Ulysses S. Grant on 16 Feb 1862 in the Battle of Fort Donelson and remained in Union hands for the remainder of the war. Grant captured the fort after a four-day siege and famously demanded "unconditional and immediate surrender" of the Fort commander, General Simon B. Buckner (Cullum 1216), who reluctantly complied. The fall of the fort was a major Union victory and Grant took between 12-15,000 prisoners. The Union lost some 5,000 killed and 450 missing. The victory opened up Tennessee and Kentucky to the Union. Confederate forces attempted, unsuccessfully, to retake the fort in February 1863 and again in September 1863. Abandoned in 1865 at the end of the war. Current Status Fort Donelson Closed Visitor Center Must See! Fort Donelson National Military Park, Stewart County, Tennessee. Restored earthworks fort. The upper and lower batteries have been restored and populated with period cannons. Included in the park but off-site from the main fort is the restored Dover Hotel which was the site of the surrender of the fort. The on-site visitor center is currently closed (2016) and a temporary visitor center co-located in the Stewart County Chamber of Commerce Building a short distance up U.S. Hwy 79 from the main park entrance. Also nearby is the Fort Donelson National Cemetery. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort Donelson National Military Park, U.S. Hwy 79, Dover, Stewart County, Tennessee. Maps & Images Lat: 36.49311 Long: -87.85502 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 440' See Also: U.S. Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 739-740 USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1308844 Links: North American Forts - Fort Donelson NPS - Fort Donelson Wikipedia - Fort Donelson Wikipedia - Fort Donelson National Battlefield Wikipedia - Battle of Fort Donelson Visited: 13 May 2016