February 6, 1862
Union Casualties:
Killed: 18 Wounded: 32 Missing: 1
Total: 51
Confederate Casualties:
Killed: 2 Wounded: 22 Missing/Captured: 59
Total: 83
The North’s Strategic Victory:
Union forces under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant had already landed along the Tennessee River at the mouth of the Tennessee River. They were preparing for a move south. Fort Henry was a critical river fortress controlling the upper Tennessee. Grant planned on an attack from both the river and land.
On the morning of February 6, a small fleet of wooden gunboats, ironclads, and mortar boats set out from Cairo, Illinois, heading toward Fort Henry. These gunboats were designed with sloping decks and armored sides so the Confederate shot would deflect. In addition, the crews had lined the pilothouses with bales of hay to protect the men.
Commodore Andrew Foote commanded the river flotilla. At the same time, General Grant marched with 17,000 troops down the east bank of the Tennessee. By midafternoon, Foote’s gunboats were in place and commenced an artillery bombardment of the Confederate earthworks. For more than an hour the bombardment continued, while the Confederate artillery gave back shot for shot.
Finally, at 2 p.m., one of Foote’s gunboats managed to set fire to the magazine at Fort Henry. An enormous explosion followed, and Confederate commander Henry Tilghman waved a white flag of surrender shortly after. Of the 3,000 defenders, 78 men were killed or wounded and 59 captured including General Tilghman.
The Union victory at Fort Henry marked the first substantial victory for the Federal forces in the Western theater of operations and demonstrated the importance of riverine operations in the upcoming struggle.