Ulysses Grant.
The fall of Fort Donelson in 1862 secured the flank of the Union forces in that area. General Henry Halleck took this opportunity to have Union forces to move up the Tennessee River as far as was possible.
US Grant captured Paducah, Ft. Henry, and Ft. Donelson early in the war.
General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, then took Fort Donelson six days later
The importance of the Union's capture of forts Henry and Donelson cannot be over estimated. It began the concept of "unconditional surrender" as one theme of importance. The forts were captured in early 1862, which were the North's first set of major victories in the war. The loss of the forts were a stunning defeat for the South. Union General US Grant is given the credit for the victories. Among other things, it gave the North the initiative and caused the South's evacuation of the heavily fortified Southern positions in Columbus, Kentucky. The capture of these forts changed the entire situation of the war in the West.
In January, 1862, U. S. Grant used gunboats when he captured Fort Henry, on the Tennessee River. The next month he captured Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland River. These were the first major Union victories of the civil war.
Ulysses Grant.
KY
It was a major victory for the Union and was one of General Grant's early victories.
The fall of Fort Donelson in 1862 secured the flank of the Union forces in that area. General Henry Halleck took this opportunity to have Union forces to move up the Tennessee River as far as was possible.
US Grant captured Paducah, Ft. Henry, and Ft. Donelson early in the war.
The first major Union victories of the war - Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh - ending hopes of Confederate ascendancy in the West.
Because the union captured two confederate river sforts. These were Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. Union gun boats could now travel on the river as far as northern alabama
Ulysses S. Grant
At the time of US Grant's capture, mainly Fort Donelson, it endangered Nashville, Tennessee. It also opened up Union forces to use the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. These river ways enabled, if it could be done, the Union to strike deep into the western part of the Confederacy.
General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, then took Fort Donelson six days later
Superior Navy
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers respectively, in February 1862. They were the first victories by the then-unknown US Grant. The second one earned him his nickname 'Unconditional Surrender' (U.S.) Grant.