Fort Donelson

Fort Donelson

Richard J. LeFevre (1931 - 2000)

1994

watercolor and mixed media on paper

The first major success for the Union during the Civil War was in the Western Theater of Tennessee when Fort Henry fell on February 6, 1862. After securing the fort, Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant marched his troops to Fort Donelson. It had been a balmy day, and the men did what troops often do and threw away their overcoats and blankets. During the night of February 13, the temperatures fell below zero, and Grant’s army nearly froze to death. The battle lasted two days, February 14-15, 1862. Three Confederate brigadier generals were engaged at Donelson: (shown on the lower left of the painting, left to right) John B. Floyd, Gideon J. Pillow, and Simon B. Buckner. After making gains in the field that pushed Grant’s forces back, Generals Floyd and Pillow inexplicably did not push their advantage and soon decided all was lost. Since they outranked Buckner and feared Northern reprisals, the two generals decided to flee and left him to handle the surrender. Buckner hoped he would get decent terms from General Grant who was he friend before the war (and would be after), but Grant famously offered, “No terms accept unconditional and immediate surrender,” which is how the general got his nickname “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. Buckner sent a message back saying; “The distribution of the forces under my command . . . and the overwhelming force under your command, compel me to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms you propose.” This battle secured the Cumberland River for the Union and placed most of strategically located Tennessee under its control.

Bequest of the Artist