Fort Donelson National Battlefield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Donelson National Battlefield |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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 Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Location in Tennessee
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Location in the United States
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| Location | Calloway County, Kentucky & Stewart County, Tennessee, USA |
| Nearest city | Dover, Tennessee |
| Area | 1,007 acres (4.08 km2) 943 acres (382 ha) federal |
| Established | March 26, 1928 |
| Visitors | 208,687 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Fort Donelson National Monument |
Fort Donelson National Battlefield is a special place that helps us remember important events from the American Civil War. It protects two main sites: Fort Donelson and Fort Heiman. These forts were key locations in a big campaign where Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote led their forces.
In February 1862, they captured three Confederate forts. This victory opened up two major rivers, the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River. This meant the Union Navy could now control these important waterways. These wins were the first big successes for the Union in the war. They made Grant and Foote famous across the country.
Capturing Fort Donelson and its soldiers was a huge step. It led to the Union taking Nashville, which was Tennessee's capital and a major industrial city. Nashville stayed under Union control until the war ended. This gave the Union control over much of Tennessee. It was a big setback for the Confederacy early in the war.
The main part of the park is in Dover, Tennessee. It honors the Battle of Fort Donelson. Fort Heiman is nearby in Calloway County, Kentucky. It was a Confederate fort used in the Battle of Fort Henry.
Building the Forts
The state of Kentucky was a very important place during the Civil War. It was like a weak spot in the Confederate defense line. The Tennessee River and Cumberland River were like highways for the Union army to invade the South. They could go through Kentucky and into Tennessee.
Kentucky had said it wanted to stay neutral, meaning it wouldn't pick a side. So, the Confederacy couldn't build forts there without upsetting the people. But people in western Kentucky actually supported the Confederacy.
In May 1861, two engineers, Adna Anderson and William F. Foster, started looking for good spots just inside Tennessee. They wanted to build defenses to protect the two important rivers. They found high ground and deep valleys near the Kentucky border.
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Anderson planned the river battery for Fort Donelson in mid-May. It was on the west bank of the Cumberland River, not far from Dover. This spot was about 12 miles (19 km) from the Kentucky border. The new fort was named after Confederate General Daniel S. Donelson. He, along with Colonel Bushrod Johnson, approved the location. Many workers from the nearby Cumberland Iron Works helped build the fort.
Park History
The site became Fort Donelson National Military Park on March 26, 1928. A national military park is a special area that protects important battlefields. The park and its national cemetery were later moved to the care of the National Park Service in August 1933.
The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 1966. This list helps protect important historical sites. In August 1985, its name changed to a national battlefield. In 2004, the park's size was allowed to grow from about 551 acres to 2,000 acres.
In 2006, Calloway County gave the Fort Heiman site to the National Park Service. This site had been bought using funds to protect Kentucky's land. Fort Heiman was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Visiting the Park Today
Today, the park protects much of the original battle site. You can still see the river batteries and what's left of the fort. However, some areas where the Confederate States Army fought in February 1862 are now privately owned. Homes have been built there.
The Cumberland River was dammed in the 1960s. This created a large body of water called Lake Barkley. This lake covers an area similar to how wide the river was during the battle, when it was flooded. The Civil War Trust, which is part of the American Battlefield Trust, has helped protect more land. They have bought and saved about 368 acres of the battlefield. Most of this land has been given to the National Park Service to become part of the park.
Fort Donelson National Cemetery
The Fort Donelson National Cemetery is a special burial ground within the park. It covers about 15 acres in Stewart County. In 1867, 670 Union soldiers who died in the war were reburied here. Many veterans from later wars are also buried in this cemetery. However, there is no more space for new burials here.
