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Forts Henry and Donelson: The Key to the Confederate Heartland
written by Benjamin Franklin Cooling
Studio : University of Tennessee Press
by University of Tennessee Press
Publisher : University of Tennessee Press
Released : 1988-02
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780870495380
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 2 reviews)
List Price : $35.00
Our Price : $24.40
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Best Book on Forts Henry and Donelson |
The events of February, 1862 at Forts Henry and Donelson have long been overshadowed by other Civil War events. While most people, then and now, focus on the Eastern Theatre of the war, it was in the west that the war was won and lost. The fall of these forts opened the door to the Deep South and the end of the Confederacy. In my opinion, these events are among the ten most important events of the war, far more important than Gettysburg.
Unlike in Virginia where the rivers run east-west forming a barrier to the south, the rivers in Tennessee run north-south providing access to the Deep South. The front in Virginia was relatively narrow (Chesapeake Bay to Blue Ridge Mountains) while in Tennessee the front stretched hundreds of miles from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains. To cover this extensive area the Confederates had a much smaller force than in Virginia. Futhermore, while the Confederacy had an advantage in generalhip in Virginia, the Union had the superior generalship in Tennessee. The result was inevitable and began at the river forts.
Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, partially under the water, easily fell to Union gun boats on February 6. The river was open all the way to Muscle Shoals in northern Alabama. Ten days later, the Confederates surrendered at Fort Donleson on the Cumberland River. This forced the Confederate evacuation of Nashville, an important industrially city of the South. The combination of losses forced the Confederates to withdraw from central and western Tennessee to Corinth, Mississippi than foresaw the Battle of Shiloh.
Benjamin Franklin Cooling has written the best book on this campaign. His experience as historian at Fort Donleson National Battlefield make him well qualified to write on the subject. His knowledge of the material and especially the terrain pay dividends.
Yet there are some flaws. At times, Cooling strays away from military history toward academic's fascination with social history. As some of you know, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, academics declared war on military history. In their opinion, military history is unworthy of study and have turned to social history even when writing on military topics. But as Dr. Gary Gallagher has said, when you take the military component of history from the study of war, you have nothing. Luckily, Cooling's lapses into social history don't last long and he quickly returns to the reality of war.
For me the book is not an easy read. At times he seems to lose focus on the topic. For example, during his chapter on the aftermath of the Confederate surrender at Fort Donelson he gets away from the specifics of the Confederate experience in prison to a general discussion of Civil War prison experience.
There are lots of good illustrations of events and photos of the chief participants, but the maps are small and are just okay.
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Brilliant! |
The Twin Rivers Campaign, as the Union campaign against Fort Henry, Fort Heiman, and Fort Donelson is also known, possibly was the most important weeks of the Civil War. In the West, as well as East, the Confederates held that vital upperhand in warfare--the momentum. But, after the Twin River forts were captured by a Federal army-navy force and Nashville fell, the momentum lay with the Union. The fall of these forts signaled the beginning of the Confederate collapse in the West, which ultimately decided the war.
Benjamin Franklin Cooling, author of several Civil War studies, conveys the actions of both Federal and Confederate authorities before and during the campaign, as well as give the frontline soldiers their say in the matter. The campaign is described in good detail, and with great writing. With this campaign being so little written about, it is a great joy to read Mr. Cooling's book. Since he wrote this study, one other volume on this campaign has been published (which I haven't read yet. Hopefully, the Twin Rivers Campaign will gain the attention it deserves, as it is a very interesting topic to study and learn about.
The maps in this book, while not the best, are well above average. They cover the fighting at the fort in very good detail, and are plentiful enough considering that, compared to other battles, relatively little fighting actually took place at Fort Donelson. The illustrations are helpful as well. I would say get this book, enjoy it, and then go visit Fort Donelson National Battlefield. It is a very nice battlefield. |
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