Presenters of Living History©
Civil war Battle Sites
 

Fort Donelson

 

These canons are part of the Lower River Batteries and overlook what used to be the Cumberland River (now it is Lake Barkley). Imagine the Union Ironclads coming around the bend, billows of smoke over the trees announcing their imminent arrival. All photos on this page by: JoNell Franz

 

This is the view from the parking area between the two sets of cannons pictured above. It was a beautiful day, sunny and breezy enough to keep it from being too hot. The air smelled so clean too!

There were a pair of bald eagles who nested at the fort over the summer and had three eaglets. They show up in the mornings now and again. Wasn't our visit well timed?

 

Sneaky Patrick in the earthworks again. We aren't really sure if these are original. The park implies that it is, but they don't look quite the same as the ones at other battlefields. But what do we really know? This is where the Smith attacked (and took) the Confederate line on the evening 15th. Buckner would arrange for surrender before Smith could pursue things further the next morning.

 

Patrick's character for the Programs (Nathan Bedford Forrest) was here. We had to hunt everywhere for any signs that listed Forrest!

 

More of Forrest's antics. He sure was a determined person. Did things his way and let his opinion be known! After finding this sign (with mild direction from the park ranger), we went hunting for a monument said ranger had mentioned. After much backtracking and circling, we came to the conclusion that the "monument" may have been this sign.

 

The End, so far...
 

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