Introduction The Battle of Fort Donelson ranks among the most important battles that were fought during the course of the American Civil War that took place from 1861 to 1865 (Hickman). The Fort got its name from its builder Daniel S. Donelson, who was assigned to construct it by Tennessee governor Isham Harris (Gott 16). The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought over a period of 6 days, from February 11 to February 16, 1862 (Hickman). Background The Battle of Fort Henry preceded the Battle of Fort Doneson. Fort Henry, situated 10 miles to the west of Fort Donelson (History.com), was perceived to be the weakest point in Confederate Commander in the West General Albert Sidney Johnston’s line (McPherson 396). In the Battle of Fort Henry, Union ground forces under the command of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, along with support from the naval gunboats of Flag Officer Andrew Foote attacked Fort Henry and successfully captured it on 6 February 1862 (Hickman). Not only was Fort Henry easy prey because it was located on a flood plain and inundated by high water (Cooling 2), but it was captured after just 2 hours of fighting mainly because the Fort Henry commander Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman lost his nerve. He ordered nearly all his 2,600-strong garrison to retreat by land to Fort Donelson (Hurst), keeping back only 100 men (History.com) to engage in the 2 hour battle with the Union forces in order to cover the retreat of the larger contingent of his forces. The retreat itself was shamefully executed. Instead of doing their assigned job of protecting the rear of the retreating column, the horsemen panicked and rode wildly through the ranks of their infantrymen, effectively turning what was supposed to be an orderly retreat into a chaotic stampede (Hurst). The Union victory in the Battle of Fort Henry was significant as it made River Tennessee safe for Union ships to proceed without danger (Hickman). Moreover, as the river ran from north to south, it was useless as bulwarks of defense but an ideal route for an invading army (Gott 3). Grant next turned his attention to Fort Donelson which lay to the east on River Cumberland (Hickman). This fort was situated on an elevated bluff and had 6,000 troopers of its own to which another 11,000 were added when the retreating Confederate soldiers from Fort Henry reached it. (History.com). Meanwhile, Confederate commander in the West, General Albert Sidney Johnston summoned his deputies for an urgent war meeting on 7 February 1862. Johnston’s forces, which were spread out along a broad area in Kentucky and Tennessee, were faced by a Union army numbering 45,000 men led by Major General Don Carlos Buell at Louisville, Kentucky, and by Grant’s army of nearly 25,000 men at Fort Henry. Deciding that the Confederate forces in Kentucky faced the danger of a rout by Union forces, Johnston ordered the troops there to withdraw to areas south of River Cumberland. Unsure about what to do next, Johnston held consultations with General P.G.T. Beauregard, and hesitantly agreeing to the latter’s recommendation that Fort Donelson needed to be strengthened, ordered 12,000 of his troopers to move to Fort Donelson (Hickman). /var/www/blog-s