The battle of Fort Henry was an early major battle on the western front of the American civil war. Fort Henry was in Stewart County, Tennessee. Fort Henry was a fort on an island in the Tennessee river, that guarded the river against boats. Ulysses. S. Grant commander of the Tennesse army and Andrew Hull Foote commander of the navy attacked the fort on February 6, 1862. The fort was defended poorly causing it to be captured easily.

The battle of Fort Donelson was located east of Fort Henry on the Cumberland River. Fort Donelson was well-fortified causing it to defeat the navy. The battle of Fort Donelson took several days from February 11 to February 16, 1862. The union army surrounded it and tried to attack the fort with frontal charges. On February 15, 1862, the Confederates made a surprise attack to open a line of retreat to Nashville, but Grant and the union army successfully barred most of the Confederate army from escaping. The Confederates surrendered on February 16, 1862.

It was interesting to learn about the civil war. and learn about the devastation and death resulting from it. Americans that were once friends and brothers fought each other, because of a belief.