"Fort Donelson will hereafter be marked in Capitals on the maps of our United Country..." Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donelson elated the North and stunned the South. Within days of the surrender, Clarksville and Nashville would fall into Union hands. Grant and his troops had created a pathway to victory for the Union.

A commanding view of the Cumberland River from the Upper Artillery Battery

Upper River Battery

Volunteers demonstrate Field Artillery at Fort Donelson NB

Volunteer Cannon Demonstration

Fort Donelson National Cemetery: Final resting place for thousands of American Veterans

Fort Donelson National Cemetery

Quiet Afternoon overlooking the Cumberland River, Fort Donelson NB

Artillery at Fort Donelson NB

Enjoy your lunch at the Picnic Area, Fort Donelson NB

Picnic Area

Native plants found on park trails during springtime hikes

Spring flowers on the trails

Observation Deck on the Cumberland River

Artillery Batteries at Fort Donelson NB

The Fort Donelson National Cemetery, final resting place for Soldiers who fell in battle during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II.

A view of the earthworks, where Confederate Soldiers once stood watch.

Earthworks

The Dover Hotel, site of the first major Civil War surrender.

The Dover Hotel

Volunteers of the 9th Kentucky Infantry Re-enactors demonstrate field artillery

Field Artillery Demonstration

A View from Fort Heiman, Kentucky overlooking Kentucky Lake

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

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Nearby Parks

Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge