Forts Henry and Donelson: The Key to the Confederate Heartland

by Benjamin Franklin Cooling III

The Forts Henry and Donelson - or Twin Rivers - Campaign of 1862 was one of the decisive campaigns in the American Civil War. The fall of the two forts, on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers in the West, handed the Confederacy its first major defeat, bolstered Northern enthusiasm for war, and opened an invasion route to Nashville and the deeper South.

While the South ignored the western rivers, the North grasped their strategic and symbolic importance in American life. Union gunboats plied these rivers in an unusual show of cooperation between Union army and navy. The author explorers the roots of this cooperation as well as the inevitable political struggles among leaders and levels of command on both sides of the conflict.

The campaign's outcome catapulted to prominence an unknown brigadier general, Ulysses S. Grant, and sent into decline the career of the South's Albert Sidney Johnston. At the same time, these battles, fought largely by Northern and Southern volunteers, gave many American youths their tragic first taste of combat. This book, the definitive account of the Forts Henry and Donelson story, recreates in vivid, rich detail, the many facets of this crucial campaign and its momentous consequences.

Genres: Civil War, American Civil War, Civil War Western Theater, Military History, History, American History

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1987

About the author

Alternate names:
B. Franklin Cooling
Benjamin F. Cooling

Benjamin Franklin Cooling III served as Chief Historian and Research Director with the Department of Energy and as a historian with the Army, Air Force, and National Park Service, and elsewhere. He has taught at numerous universities and is currently a Professor of History at the National Defense University in Washington DC. Cooling has authored or edited 16 books on the Civil War and modern warfare and has written several hundred articles, essays and reviews on aspects of military, naval and other history.

Reviews

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been several years since reading about the campaign to capture Forts Henry and Donelson, and even then it was from the naval river perspective. Cooling's book combines both the naval and land aspects of the fighting. Furthermore, I enjoyed reading about the importance of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers prior to the Civil War. I gained a greater understanding of their impact not only to the south, but 19th century America. Cooling also details the intricacies between the numerous personalities on both sides of the conflict. I also found it refreshing to read about different aspects of the campaign that normally are not written in one volume, namely the challenges associated with medical treatment and prisoners of war.

[Pete Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many, there is only a vague memory of Forts Henry and Donelson and the fact the it was Grant's first major victories. Victories that opened up a huge gap in confederate defenses in the west.

But both forts had to be stormed by force - both on land and on the rivers - and that is the part that often gets forgotten. Being so early in the war, it was a tangle of inexperienced officers jockeying for influence, plus green troops facing some of their first combat. This book does a good job of filling in the gaps around the tactical moves made that led to the battles round each fort, and how command decisions led to the ultimate double capitulation. Good information, but can be a bit dry at times.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cooling's book is very well researched and packed with information. It covers everything that you would want to know about the battles, politically and militarily. It is very thorough, but I did think that it was just a bit dry. I have read many books on the Civil War, so it is not that it was an unusual type of book for me to read. At times I would lose interest and have to re-read sections that I realized I had skimmed through.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched and well-written book on this campaign.

Cooling argues that Union victory during this campaign both enabled Union conquest of the southern “heartland” and was one the war’s most important turning points. He states that the victories here started a “domino effect” and notes how even Union veterans of the campaign tended to downplay its significance.

Cooling ably describes the campaign’s origins, course and aftermath, as well as the striking contrast between the quality of Union and Confederate leadership.The narrative flows well, although there are some typos or awkward wording. Some more analysis and more maps would have helped. And at one point Floyd is called “John Bell Floyd.”

A broad and enjoyable work.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benjamin Cooling is an outstanding Civil War historian. His book on the 1862 battles at forts Donelson, Henry, and Heiman is well written, thoroughly researched, and replete with pictures and maps. Ginny and I visited these forts in May 2014 and we spent time at the visitor center viewing videos and visiting with National Park Service experts before walking the Donelson and Heiman battlefields. Cooling's book greatly extended my understanding of the battles and the role Colonel Adolphus Heiman played in the engagements. It is a must read for anyone interested in civil war decisive battles and military history.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The February 1862 victory at Fort Henry was the first major Union victory in the West. Ulysses Grant followed that up with the Donelson victory. Benjamin Cooling's study brings us gunboats (mostly Henry) hand-to-hand battles (mostly Donelson) and a clear account of Grant's early rise. It's a worthwhile book.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forts Henry and Donelson guarded the entrance to the Tennessee River which could carry Union forces into the heart of the South during the Civil War. It was vital to the Union war plans to capture these forts.