Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donelson elated the North, and stunned the South. Within days of the surrender, Clarksville and Nashville would fall into Union hands. Grant and his troops had created a pathway to victory for the Union.
What you’ll hear
23 places to explore in this park.
- Ben Hur Chariots Wheel
- Confederate Monument
- Dover Hotel (Surrender House) Tour Stop #10
- Feathered Star quilt block
- Forge Road
- Fort Donelson Entrance
- Fort Donelson National Cemetery
- Fort Donelson NB Education Pavilion
- Fort Donelson NB Visitor Center
- Fort Heiman
- French's Battery
- Graves Battery
- Joseph's Coat
- Log Cabin Quilt block
- Memory Wreath
- Quilt Trail
- Roper Star Quilt Block
- Site of Fort Henry
- Smith's Attack
- The Confederate Fort
- Underground Railroad "Free State Community"
- Union Camp
- Water Batteries
Hear it on Trailtold
Download the app and let Fort Donelson National Battlefield narrate itself as you walk — GPS-triggered audio, hands-free.
Get the app