Fort Donelson from the Civil War
On our trip to Kentucky Lake this last summer, our friends the Streets introduced us to another Civil War site, Fort Donelson. As you may know, we enjoy visiting Civil War sites to learn more about history, and fortunately, there are several such sites around us.
Fort Donelson itself sits on the banks of the Cumberland River in Tennessee. The fort was originally a Confederate fort, as you would guess from its location in the south. But the Union forces took the fort during the battle, giving them a strategic position in the South. One of the heroes of the battle was Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, whose actions in the battle earned him a promotion to Major General.
However, the entire battle did not go well for the North. Union gunboats advanced down the Cumberland River toward the fort, as seen in the photo here, but the cannons of the Confederate army turned the gunboats away.
Looking from the same point now, it seems that the view hasn’t changed all that much. You can imagine the apprehension of the soldiers in the fort as they watched the gunboats make the long, slow trip down the river. In fact, while we were standing there, a barge came around the bend and made its way down the river toward us, just as the gunboats had done during the battle. There was quite a bit of time from when we first saw the barge to when it would have been close enough to fire upon, and I imagine the soldiers were sweating it out. Fortunately, we had nothing to fear from the approaching barge, as we are all on the same side now.
Always fun to visit historical places like Fort Donelson and learn more about the past.
Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields[d] with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” - Psalm 46:8-10
About the photo:
A single RAW exposure, processed in Adobe Lightroom. Read more about the photo software and gear I use at the camera gear page.
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm
