Unconditional Surrender

Fort Donelson was surrendered unconditionally to Union General Ulysses S Grant on February 16th 1862.

Following the capture of Fort Henry on February 6th 1862 Union General Ulysses S Grant moved his men overland to Fort Donelson. On February 12th and 13th 1862 they made a few probing attacks. The Union Navy fired on the Fort on February 14th, but were drove away by batteries from the Fort. Confederate Brigadier General John B Floyd finding Fort Donelson surrounded made a surprise attack on Grant’s army trying to find an escape path on February 15th 1862. Grant rallied his men, and Floyd pulled his troops back into their entrenchments.

Floyd and his second in command, Confederate Brigadier General Gideon J Pillow turned over the Fort on the morning of February 16th 1862. Excepting the unconditional surrender terms from Grant. They left command of the Fort to Confederate General Simon B Buckner and made their own escape. Buckner surrendered about 14,000 troop along with 48 guns, equipment and provisions. About 800 men on both sides were killed during the battle, with another 1,500 wounded. Some of the wounded left on the field, froze to death in a snowstorm. The capture of Fort Donelson opened up the Cumberland River to the Union for the invasion into the South.

Control Of The River

Fort Pillow’s evacuation on June 4th 1862 by the Confederate Army opened the Mississippi River to the Union.


Fort Pillow built by the Confederate Army in 1861 in Maury County, was named for General Gideon J Pillow. It’s strategic location on the Mississippi River, just south of Island Number 10, allowed for controlling movement on the river. Union ships bombarded the Fort for weeks placing pressure on the troops stationed there. But it was the Confederate loss of Corinth, which left Fort Pillow isolated in Union territory which caused Confederate troops evacuated the Fort June 4th 1862 leaving the river clear for Union troops to invade Memphis Tennessee. The Union held the Fort until April 1864 when during the Battle of Fort Pillow the Confederate victory ended in the killing of 229 Union soldiers out of the 262 who where in the battle.