I have now seen that it fell also on the 23rd and 24th.
From the Feb. 25th Nashville (Tn) Tennesseean "Nashville fell to Union 150 years ago today" by Tony Gonzalez.
The fall of Fort Donelson, 60 miles down the Cumberland River came as a shock to the people of Nashville who considered the place impregnible. When the Union forces first attacked it appeared to be a great Confederate victory, but then came Black Sunday when word of the fort's fall reached the city of 30,000. According to Tennessee state historian Walter Durham, "Church services were abandoned--people just ran out."
This began the Great Panic while mobs rioted for nine days, civic leaders fled the town, and people moved out.
February 16th, the 15,000 Confederates at Fort Donelson surrendered. The next day, Confederate gunboats at Nashville were set on fire (I didn't know they had warships at Nashville).
Looting commenced, bank runs took place. many elected offivcials and secessionists left, fearing Union reprisal, including Tennessee's Governor Isham Harris. Newspaper editors took to their heels and religious leaders abandoned their flocks. Railroad man V.K. Stevenson was among those heading for other places.
Heading for the Hills. --Old Secesh
No comments:
Post a Comment