Battle Of Fort Donelson Essay

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The Battle of Fort Donelson happened in February of 1862 at Fort Donelson Tennessee along the Cumberland river. It took place just ten days after the Union Victory at Fort Henry. The battle of Fort Donelson was significant for the Union for a widespread number of reasons, not only was it the first major victory for the Union it also secured Kentucky as union state and opened up Tennessee to Union influence. The Union victory at Fort Donelson also opened up both the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, an important asset for the Union's invasion of the South. The Victory over Fort Donelson would also cut off large numbers of confederate forces from their supplies and create confidence in General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union's Naval ravine forces leading to the Union's victories at Shiloh, Vicksburg and Chattanooga. The new found confidence in General Ulysses S. Grant would elevate him from a widely unproven leader to the rank of Union General. His victory at Fort Donelson would earn him the nickname “Unconditional Surrender.” because when the Confederate general John B. Floyd went to surrender Fort Donelson he did so accepting Grants terms of no compromise. He earned the reputation as an aggressive commander and worked closely with Lincoln during the war. …show more content…

It created an easier way to guard Kentucky and Tennessee from confederate influence and lead to the Unions capture of Nashville later that month. By controlling waterways in the Civil War meant faster transportation of supplies and soldiers and ultimately meant easier offensive position for the Union. It also created more confidence in the Union's Naval Ravine Forces and eventually led to multiple victories for the Union and Ulysses S.

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