Flooding of the Tennessee Valley leads to battle

Waud, Alfred R. (Alfred Rudolph), 1828-1891, artist. "Position of ft. Henry on Tennessee River." 1 drawing on light green paper : pencil ; 8.9 x 12.8 cm. (sheet). Formerly Waud no. B-27. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Morgan collection of Civil War drawings. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004660528/ (Accessed 10/17/2013)

Flooding of the Tennessee Valley leads to battle

The Tennessee River flooded, and as the water rose, Fort Henry became partially submerged, including about half of its cannons. You could land troops directly into the fort by water. This gave the North a wonderful opportunity to take not only Fort Henry but Fort Donelson which was just a few miles to the East Northeast on the Cumberland River. If the North could take Fort Henry, they could attack Fort Donelson from the River with Ironclads and from the land and lay Siege to the garrison.

Fort Henry was the key and so the Union sent a fleet to Fort Henry to shell it.

At this time Richard was on the East bank of the Tennessee River at Fort Heiman and he witnessed the shelling of Fort Henry by the Union Ironclad Navy from the opposite riverbank.

This is a picture of the flooding on the Ohio River which is downstream from Fort Henry.

"The recent inundation of the Ohio [River] at Cincinnati." 1 print : wood engraving.1862. Illus. in: Harper's Weekly, 1862 Feb. 22, p. 124. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003653534/ (Accessed 10/17/2013).

Three years In the C.S. Army (P.A.C.S) A Diary of a Confederate Soldier by Jerry Pepper and Richard Lauren McClung
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