FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Fifth)
In which we continue our discussion of the Battle of Fort Donelson (February 13-16, 1862).
 |
| Confederate gun battery overlooking the Cumberland River. |
 |
| Andrew Hull Foote (1806-1863) |
Our book recommendations for this episode are:
Blue & Gray magazine, Volume 28 #4
North & South magazine, Volume 7 #2 (March 2004)
Listen to Episode #93: HenryDonelsonPartFifth
FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Fourth)
 |
| John Buchanan Floyd (1806-1863) |
 |
| Gideon Johnson Pillow (1806-1878) |
In which we look at the opening stages of the Battle of Fort Donelson (February 13-16, 1862).
Our book recommendation for this episode is Struggle for the Heartland: The Campaigns from Fort Henry to Corinth by Stephen D. Engle.
“A great addition to the University of Nebraska Press’s Great Campaigns of the Civil War. It is a fine example of the growing trend to incorporate economic, political, and social studies into military history.” ~ North & South magazine
Listen to Episode #92: HenryDonelsonPartFourth
FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Third)
In which we look at the Federal timberclads’ dramatic raid up the Tennessee River, and Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston’s controversial decision to reinforce- but not to fully commit to the defense of- Fort Donelson.
Our book recommendation for this episode is The Battle of Fort Donelson: No Terms but Unconditional Surrender by James R. Knight.
Listen to Episode 91: HenryDonelsonPartThird
FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Second)
In which we discuss the Battle of Fort Henry, which took place on February 6, 1862.
 |
| A print depicting the Federal gunboats steaming up the Tennessee River and attacking Fort Henry. |
Our book recommendation for this episode is Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862 by Kendall D. Gott.
“Some historians argue that the pivotal action of the Civil War was not Antietam or Gettysburg, but the twin Confederate losses at Fort Henry and Donelson, the battles that opened the way for the Union juggernaut to penetrate the Southern heartland and carve it into pieces, though it would take three years to accomplish. Kendall Gott’s Where the South Lost the War is our first comprehensive look at these turning points in some years, and is especially good on the oft-dismissed Fort Henry operations. It should establish itself as the standard word on both engagements and their impact.” ~ William C. Davis
Listen to Episode 90: HenryDonelsonPartSecond
FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the First)
 |
| Henry Wager Halleck (1815-1872) |
In which we give the background to Ulysses S. Grant’s February, 1862 campaign to capture Forts Henry & Donelson in northern Tennessee.
Our book recommendation for this episode is Forts Henry and Donelson: The Key to the Confederate Heartland by Benjamin F. Cooling.
Listen to Episode 89: HenryDonelsonPartFirst
MILL SPRINGS (Part the Second)
 |
| Felix Kirk Zollicoffer (1812-1862) |
 |
| George Bibb Crittenden (1812-1880) |
In which we look at the Battle of Mill Springs, which was fought in south-central Kentucky on January 19, 1862.
 |
| A fanciful depiction of the death of Felix Zollicoffer. |
 |
| A map of the “Battle of Fishing Creek” (a.k.a Logan’s Cross Roads, Mill Springs) |
Our book recommendation for this episode is Mill Springs: Campaign and Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky by Kenneth A. Hafendorfer.
Listen to Episode 88: MillSprings
MILL SPRINGS (Part the First)
 |
| George Henry Thomas (1816-1870) |
In which we set the stage for the Battle of Mill Springs, which was fought in Kentucky on January 19, 1862.
Our book recommendation for this episode is The Battle of Mill Springs Kentucky by Stuart W. Sanders.
Listen to Episode 87: MillSprings
YEAR IN REVIEW- 1861 (July-December)
In which we use a couple of episodes to take a look back at what happened during the first year of the Civil War.
Our book recommendation for this episode is The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War by David J. Eicher.
“The Longest Night is a remarkable blend of scholarship and writing. It should stand for a long time as the best and most complete single-volume military history of the Civil War. A splendid achievement.” ~ Jeffry D. Wert
Listen to Episode 86: YearInReview1861
YEAR IN REVIEW- 1861 (January-June)
In which we use a couple of episodes to look back at what happened during the first year of the Civil War.
Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War Day by Day, An Almanac, 1861-1865 by E.B. Long with Barbara Long, with a foreword by Bruce Catton.
Listen to Episode 85: YearInReview1861