Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 1

[55] were greatly superior to any good fortune which had at that time befallen the national arms, and were hardly surpassed, in a purely military point of view, by the result of any operations of the war. The great rebel line being penetrated at the centre, its extremities were both turned, while the region behind was uncovered. The whole of Kentucky and Ten. nessee at once fell into the possession of the national forces; the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers were opened to national vessels for hundreds of miles; Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, and a place of immense strategic importance, fell; Bowling Green had become untenable as soon as Donelson was attacked, and was abandoned on the 14th, the day before the rebel works on the Cumberland were carried; while Columbus, at the other end of the line, was evacuated early in March, thus leaving the Mississippi free from the rebel flag, from St. Louis to Arkansas.

The country was unacquainted at this time with the principles of military science; and as city after city fell, and stronghold after stronghold was abandoned, all legitimate consequences of the capture of Fort Donelson, the national amazement and gratification knew no bounds. The effect on the spirits of the soldiers and of the people, was indeed quite equal to the purely military results. This was the first success of any importance since the beginning of the war. An inferior force had marched boldly up to a strongly fortified post, and for three days besieged an army larger than itself; then, after being reenforced, it had not only defeated the enemy in the open field, converting what had nearly been disaster into brilliant victory, but compelled the unconditional surrender