FORT HENRY, FORT DONELSON – COMPANY C

David.Gettman November 27th, 2008

CW2Regimental Headquarters, Band, and Companies B, E, and H left Fort Crittenden (Camp Floyd), Utah, July 27, 1861, en route to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After a march of over two months, during which time they had very little knowledge of the stirring events in the East, they arrived at that post October 6. Taking a train to Washington, D.C., they reached Cantonment Holt October 19. Companies A, D, and F joined them there in December, and as Company K was already there, seven of the ten companies were assembled as a unit. At the end of the year 1861 Company C was at Paducah, Kentucky, Company G at Fort Craig, New Mexico, and Company I at Fort Garland, Colorado.

After the battle of Wilson’ s Creek Company C was transferred to St. Louis August 30. From here it proceeded to Paducah, Kentucky, and was assigned to the command of Brigadier General Charles F. Smith of McClernand’ s Division along with one company of the Fourth Cavalry. At this place it was engaged in scouting and escort duty until February 5, 1862, when operations against Forts Henry and Donelson, Tennessee, were begun under Grant. During this time the cavalry was opposed to Forrest, the famous Southern cavalry leader. Fort Henry was captured without much struggle and the army moved on to Donelson. While on reconnaissance duty near Fort Donelson Company C had a skirmish with the enemy February 10 and another on the 12th. Arriving at that place, the army soon bottled up the Confederates, causing the surrender of the entire garrison except the cavalry. The company then marched south with the army to Nashville, Tennessee.

Related posts:

  1. PITTSBURG LANDING (SHILOH) – COMPANY C Arriving at Nashville, Tennessee, February 28, 1862, Company C remained...
  2. VAL VERDE, NEW MEXICO – COMPANY G During this same month Company G was defending the Union...
  3. FORT KEOGH, FORT CUSTER After the end of the Nez Perce campaign, the battalion...
  4. THE REGIMENT REASSEMBLES We left Company I at Taos, New Mexico, in 1861,...
  5. FORT JUPITER, KANAHAPA PRAIRIE After three months of strenuous preparation under Colonel Twiggs at...
  6. WILSON’S CREEK – COMPANY C The next company from the regiment to enter the great...
  7. BULL RUN – COMPANY K On the morning of June 19, 1861, the cavalry was...
  8. FORT RILEY The companies in Texas assembled at Fort Belknap in August,...
  9. Fort Jesup Fort Jesup, Louisiana As the war with the Seminoles began...
  10. Fort Des Moines Early in June, 1907, orders were received to abandon the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply