Today is an important day in Civil War history. US Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant received the “unconditional surrender” of Fort Donelson. Meeting him at the Dover Hotel, was his old friend, CSA Brigadier General Simon Bolivar Buckner who surrendered his entire garrison – nearly 12,400 Confederate soldiers were surrendered and would make their way to Cairo, Illinois, in route to Federal prisons. Buckner’s soldiers would suffer another 1,450 killed and wounded. Grant’s Federal forces would suffer nearly 2,700 killed and wounded – a number that is understandable as they had to storm significant field works during a protracted battle on February 15.
To view a narrative on the Battle of Fort Donelson, that I wrote on last year’s anniversary of the battle, click HERE.
To view a photo essay on the Battle of Fort Doneslon, at my Flickr site, click HERE.
About Michael Noirot
I grew up in the Central Illinois farming community, of Dunlap. Growing up, I played sports, tinkered with cars and enjoyed photography. While I did well in school, I did not become passionate about history until my early 30's.
I have built a large library, of books on early America, politics and the Civil War. I am an avid reader. Fortunately, I have had plenty of opportunities to travel, over the years, and have been to most of the Civil War battlefields. I work while I travel, so more often than not, I am up, in the middle of the night, to get sunrise pictures, or I will be out until well after dark, exploring Civil War battlefields.
I have other hobbies, and passions, that I really enjoy. Number one on the list would be guitar. I play my guitars on a regular basis, and enjoy the Bluegrass, and Contemporary Christian (CCM) genres. I play a style of guitar, called FLATPICKING, where using a flat pick, you play lead solos, similar to the way a fiddle would have been played during the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Laura, my wife, and I also enjoy scuba diving, travel and spending time at our property, in the country. Lastly, we spend as much time with our families, as possible. Thanks for stopping by.
