Background With the fall of Fort Henry, Albert Sidney Johnston finally gave up all hope of holding on to Kentucky for the Confederacy. Instructing the garrison at Fort Donelson to cover Hardee's withdrawal from Bowling Green, he decided on a concentration at Nashville, in an effort to stave off disaster. Throughout the winter of '61/'62 he had attempted to improvise the defence of a line running from Co1umbus in the west to the Cumberland Gap in the east. It had at last proved to be an unequal struggle. The speed of Fort Henry's demise had shocked Johnston almost as much as it had elated Grant. Despite Donelson's rapid reinforcement during the week since the fall of its neighbor, Johnston did not expect this bastion on the Cumberland to hold out any longer. If the garrison could buy sufficient time to prevent Grant falling on the flank and rear of the retreating Hardee, then slip away to pin the Confederate main body at Nashville, the loss of the fort would not be entirely in vain. Shelby Foote described the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers in the vicinity of Henry and Donelson, as "like a double-barreled shotgun levelled at Johnston's heart.,' So it was, with the weapon nestled in Grant's shoulder. He had scored a hit with the first barrel, he was about to unleash the second. With each blast, Grant's reputation increased. The Action at Fort Donelson BrigadierGeneral Lew Wallace, famed author of Ben Hur, used his 1iterary talents to describe a sentry's eye view of the Confederate works: 'The fort itself was of good profile, and admirably adapted to the ridge it crowned. Around it, on the landward side, ran the rifle-pits, a continuous but irregular line of logs covered with yellow clay. From Hickmans Creek the extended far around to the little run just outside the town on the south. If the sentry thought the pits looked shallow, he was solaced to see that they followed the coping of the ascents, seventy or eighty feet in height up which a foe must charge, and that, where they were weakest, they were strengthened by trees fel1ed outward in front of them so that the interlocking limbs and branches seemed impassable by men under fire." Two water batteries commanded the river above the small settlement of Dover which was fully contained within the Confederate defences, and described by Wallace as being "...meager in popu1ation and architecturally poor." 12th February 1862 Marching overland from Fort Henry, Grant, with the divisions of Smith and McClernand, arrived within striking distance of Donelson about noon on the 12th. Smith took up position opposite the northern defences of the Confederate outworks while McClernand made to invest the south. The investment was completed during the remainder of the day with the unusual situation of the investors having fewer troops than the invested. 13 February 1862 At dawn on the 13th, McClernand made an impetuous assault on a battery in front of his position, but was decisively repulsed. All three of the charges he made against it suffered heavy casualties. The iron clad gunboat Cardondelet made a lone, but ineffectual, demonstration against the water batteries of Donelson at around 11am. The other components of the fleet being away engaged in escorting transports full of reinforcements for Grant's command. Suffering damage, she withdrew. That aftemoon Smith's Division was ordered to probe the enemy. After some initial success, it was forced quickly back to its original position, somewhat smaller in manpower. Today Grant had rearmed only that the Confederates were strongly dug-in and ready to fight. Tomorrow, with the additions of the garrison of Henry, the waterbome reinforcements and the remainder of the fleet, he would push them harder. Across the outworks, the Confederate Commander at Donelson, Brigadier General John B. Floyd, had remained inactive, surrendering the initiative to Grant, despite outnumbering the besiegers. Perhaps he consoled himself with the news arriving that evening, that Hardee had made itto Nashville undisturbed by Grant's attentions. It only remained for him and his troops to join the main body at the Tennessee capital for Johnston's design to be complete. 14th February 1862 By dawn of the 14th the Union reinforcements had arrived and Grant now had a slight numerical advantage. He fully expected the events of today to be a repeat of the action at Fort Henry, with the navy knocking hell out of the fort, while the army prevented a breakout and mopped up afterwards. At noon the navy began their assault, the army having completed the deployment of the reinforcements. Less than two hours later, with their steering gear damaged and hulls holed, all four ironclads were in full retreat, their commodore wounded. This was to be no Fort Henry. Union and Confederate pickets skirmished until dusk, but both sides appeared to agree that the fire and fury of the gunboat action was sufficient activity for the day. 15th February 1862 In the early hours of the moming, Floyd called a Confederate Council of War which agreed to attempt a breakout at dawn. The northern defences were stripped of men and troops, massed in assault formations in the vicinity of Dover, waited amid ice and snow for first light. As dawn broke the Rebel lines went forward but, alerted by their pickets, the Federal infantry was ready to receive them. The battle raged for fully three hours before heavy Confederate pressure began to tell and McClernand's men gave way. The escape route was now open. With Grant away in conference on board the wounded commodore's flagship, having "...no idea that there would be any engagement on land unless I brought it on myself'', and his last orders to his divisions forbidding any movement from their current positions, it seemed Floyd had won the day. Fearing a counter-attack against his exposed flanks and receiving conflicting advice from his divisional commanders, Floyd, instead of seizing the moment, chose to remain a captive and ordered his troops back inside their works. Grant arrived back at Donnelson around 1:00 PM, summoned by a panic-stricken staff. Quickly making his way to the Union right, he rallied McClernand's troops, sent a request for the navy to make a morale boosting demonstration against the fort and ordered Smith's Division to make an all out assault against the thinly held Rebel line north of Indian Creek. With Wallace advancing in support, Smith captured the Confederate works and was able to bring artillery to bear on the Fort itself. Rebel troops of Buckner's Division arrived in time to stop the rout, but to Floyd, things looked pretty bleak. During the night, the Confederate commander held his third Council of War of the siege. Only Nathan Bedford Forrest, there by virtue of being in command of the cavalry, had any fight left in him. Of the others, Floyd and Pillow, fearing Federal retribution, decided to save their skins, while Buckner agreed to stay to handle the surrender. In the small hours, Floyd commandeered river transport for himself and his original command, a brigade of Virginians, while Pillow found an old rowing boat and made good his escape, accompanied only be his chief of staff. Hardly a glorious exit! Forrest decided not to fall in with the surrender plans. That night, with infantrymen swung up behind his troopers, he led his command across the ice cold Cumberland to safety on the opposite bank. Earlier, at the Council of War, he had ventured that the entire force take this route, but as the most junior officer, he had been overruled. Until his death, he always believed the whole garrison could have escaped by this path. 16th February 1862 Before dawn, in reply to his message to Grant seeking surrender terns, Buckner received the soon to be famous reply: "Sir, Yours of this date proposing Armistice and appointment of commissioners to settle terms of Capitulation just received. No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works. U.S. Grant" The surrender came as something of a shock to the Confederate troops waiting to renew the fight that morning. They had bested their opponents in both defence and attack, yet it was they who were now flying the white flag. Yet perhaps it was not Floyd, but the ranking Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, who should take responsibility for the fiasco. His downbeat forecast of Donelson's chances of survival, communicated to both Jefferson Davis and Floyd, were hardly likely to inspire confidence in the post's ability to conduct a resolute defence. Describing the fort as "...not long tenable...without the necessity of employing their land force in cooperation" appeared to make ignominious defeat something of a self-fulfilling prophesy. As was so often the case in the Civil War, (has it not been the case in all wars?) while the troops on both sides behaved with much physica1 bravery, it was the moral fortitude oftheircommanders which frequently let them down. THE WARGAME This is not so much a single game, but more a mini-campaign. The four days leading up to the surrender of Donelson are simulated, but not without the inclusion of the naval action. The comment which forms the title of the piece is reputed to have been made by Nathan Bedford Forrest when he first viewed the Union ironclads approaching Donelson on the 14th. I have a sneaking suspicion it was more a comment on the ability of the C-in-C commanders to defend the post, than it was an expression of fear, for as can be seen, the naval side of the action was decidedly indecisive, and I make no excuses for not including it in the wargame. Terrain The swamp bordering Hickmans Creek is impassable to all units except via road movement. The main channel of Indian Creelc may only be crossed by artillery units using road movement. Confederate earthworks provide a -2 modifier to fire combat, and a +2 modifier to charge combat for all units behind them. The abatis may not be crossed by artillery. Other units may cross the abatis without incurring any movement penalty, but become disordered after crossing it and must roll as such on the movement table next turn. An infantry brigade may destroy abatis at the rate of one inch per three stands, but only after spending one complete game turn halted at the abatis, during which time it must not be fired on by any small arms or cannister fire. The town of Dover is treated as woods for the purposes of combat, movement and line of sight. All artillery stands firing from a "commanding position" (marked by a "C" on the gameboard map) add +1 firepoint per stand to their firing strength. Troops defending behind a crest line or in woods, receive a +1 modifier to combat (modifiers are not cumulative). Starting Positions Confederate troops may set up in any formation, anywhere within their earthworks south of Hickmans Creek, the only restriction being that Buckner's Division must be north and Pillow's Division south, of Indian Creek. The Garrison Brigade and Forrest's cavalry may be positioned anywhere within the Confederate works. Large Donelson Map (145K) Jumbo Donelson Map (373K) Union Order of Appearance 12th February 1862: Turn 1 Smith's Division (minus Smith's Brigade), followed by McClernand's Division (in that order), enter in march column via point "A". 14th February 1862: Turn 1 Smith's Brigade of Smith's Division (+1 Art) enters in march column via point "A." Wallace's Division enters in march column via point "B." Game Length - Start/Finish Times 12th February 1862 Begin with the Union player 12 noon and ends with the Confederate 1730 turn. 13th/14th February 1862 Begins with the Union player 0700hrs turn and ends with the Confederate 1730hrs turn. 15th February 1862 Begins with the Confederate player 0730hrs turn and ends with the Confederate 1730hrs turn. Special Scenario Rules Advancing Time: By mutual consent players may advance time in situations where neither side wishes to engage in active operations. "Active operations,, inc1ude any tabletop activity. (e.g. movement, fire combat, charge combat). Confederate Night Movement: Prior to play beginning on 15th February 1862, the Confederate p1ayer may move any non- spent brigade or non-damaged artillery stand contained within the Confederate works, and reposition them anywhere, in any formation, within those works (this simulates the relocation of Rebel units prior to their dawn breakout attempt.) Grant's conference with Foote, 15th February: In order to simulate the absence of General Grant from the battle front during the morning of 15th February, the following ru1es apply, but only if all Confederate infantry brigades/artillery stands are contained within their works at the start of play on the 15th: 1. All component parts of Union Divisions must remain in their starting positions until a unit is fired on by small arms or charged. (i.e. No movement by any element of a division may take place prior to part of that division becoming engaged.) The only exception to this rule is that one of Wallace's brigades may be sent to the assistance of McClernand's division once any element of McClernand's Division suffers a "Driven back" or "Swept from the field" result. 2. At the start of the Union 1300hrs turn, an exceptional leader stand, representing Grant and his staff, may enter the table at point "B". Grant's modifiers may be applied to any and all Federa1 units on the gameboard. Victory Conditions Normal Fire & Fury victory points app1y, but in addition: 10 points for each "Commanding position" held by a non-spent Union brigade or non-damaged artillery stand at the end of the game. 5 points for each non-spent Confederate infantry brigade or artillery stand which exits via the southern edge of the game-board after dawn on the 14th. Figures Required To play this scenario you need the following model stands: YANKS: 4 Leader Stands 4 Artillery Stands 105 Infantry Stands 4 Cavalry Stands REBELS: 2 Leader Stands 3 Artillery Stands 74 Infantry Stands 3 Cavalry Stands ORDER OF BATTLE Union Forces 1ST DIVISION: Brig-Gen. John A. McClernand Oglesby's Brigade 12/10/7 Wallace's Brigade 9/8/5 Morrison's Brigade 8/6/4 Cavalry Brigade 4/3/2 (attached to 1st division) 2ND DIVISION: Brig-Gen. Charles F. Smith (E) McArthur's Brigade 9/7/5 Cook's Brigade 13/10/7 Lauman's Brigade 12/9/6 Smith's Brigade 10/8/5 (arrives 14/2 + 1 Art Stand) 1 Artillery Stand 3RD DIVISION: Brig Gen. Lew Wallace Cruft's Brigade 12/10/7 Davis' Brigade 11/8/6 Thayer's Bngade 9/8/5 1 Artillery Stand Confederate Garrison RIGHT WING: Brig Gen Simon Buckner BUCKNER'S DIVISION: Baldwin's Brigade 11/9/6 Brown's Brigade 11/8/6 1 Artillery Stand UNATTACHED: Forrest's Brigade 3/2/- (E) LEFT WING: Brig Gen. Gideon J. Pillow PILLOW'S DIVISION: Heiman's Brigade 11/9/6 Davidson's Brigade 11/8/6 Drake's Brigade 8/6/4 1 Artillery Stand GARRISON: Head's Brigade 6/5/3 FLOYD's DIVISION Wharton's Brigade 6/5/3 (E) McCausland's Brigade 6/4/2 (E) 1 Artillery Stand Endpiece For those of you who are already committed Fire and Fury enthusiasts, there is no need for me to expound upon the virtues of this rules syslem. For those of you who are not yet hooked, get hold of a set quick! They are quite simply the most elegant wargames rules I have ever come across. It's a gem. Bibliography Battles and Leaders, Johnson and Buel Fort Sumter to Perryville, Shelby Foote Great Western Battles, Fire and Fury Team. Back to The Zouave Vol VII No. 2 Table of Contents Back to The Zouave List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 The American Civil War Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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