Episode 95 · July 1821–February 25, 1862 · Tennessee and Mississippi; Fort Donelson, Dover, and Nashville, Tennessee

POSTSCRIPT: FORREST'S BREAKOUT

Nathan Bedford Forrest rose from a Tennessee and Mississippi businessman and slave trader to lieutenant colonel of Confederate cavalry. At Fort Donelson, his cavalry helped open Forge Road during the Confederate attack on February 15, 1862. The senior commanders then ordered the troops back into their defenses. Before the surrender on February 16, Forrest led roughly 500 mounted men out on the old Charlotte Road, crossed flooded Lick Creek, and reached Nashville on February 18

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Episode at a glance

Featured actionFebruary 15–16, 1862

LocationFort Donelson and Lick Creek, near Dover, Tennessee

OutcomeUnited States victory; the garrison surrendered while Forrest’s column escaped.

Forrest’s escaping columnAbout 500 mounted menThe episode’s count for Forrest’s column, not the full Confederate force. The episode also covers his earlier life and the journey to Nashville.

Source: Episode 95 — official podcast website

Forces and losses

Entire Battle of Fort Donelson · February 13–16, 1862

Estimated soldiers and casualties by side
Measure	United States	Confederacy
Soldiers involved	24,531	16,171
Killed	507	327
Wounded	1,976	1,127
Missing and captured	208	12,392

These figures cover the entire battle, not just the breakout or Forrest’s escape. Estimates vary by source. Missing and captured are reported together in this source.

Source: American Battlefield Trust: Fort Donelson

Interactive battlefield timeline

Battle Flow

Fort Donelson · February 15–16, 1862

Step through the Confederate breakout, the United States counterattacks, and Forrest’s escape on a geographic reference map. Documented locations are distinguished from approximate unit footprints and routes.

Frame 1 of 8

Saturday, February 15

About 4–6 a.m.

The breakout force assembles

Pillow and Bushrod Johnson mass troops against Grant’s right. Forrest’s cavalry forms on their Cumberland River flank while Buckner remains nearer the Confederate center. The attack is meant to open the roads toward Nashville.

Episode timestamp: 13:28

Map confidenceDocumented sequence · approximate footprints

Evidence used: Episode transcript; NPS battle history; NPS Forge Road; American Battlefield Trust morning map

Modern geography comes from OpenStreetMap. Unit centers and movement routes are reconstructed from National Park Service, Library of Congress, U.S. Army, and American Battlefield Trust sources. They show general relationships, not exact frontage.

Battle Flow sources

Maps

Fort Donelson in Middle TennesseeFort Donelson stood beside the Cumberland River at Dover. Forrest’s column rode east toward Nashville after crossing Lick Creek.Map source Interactive map: drag to pan and use the +/− controls to zoom.

National Park Service map of Fort Donelson National Battlefield and the road toward Forrest’s Lick Creek crossing — **Fort Donelson battlefield and roads today**The National Park Service map identifies the fort, Dover, Forge Road, the surviving earthworks, and the direction of Forrest’s Lick Creek crossing.Open full-size map Map source

U.S. Army plan of Fort Donelson, Dover, Confederate earthworks, and United States division positions — **Fort Donelson and its outworks**This U.S. Army map records the fort, Dover, roads, terrain, Confederate earthworks, and the positions of McClernand, Lew Wallace, and C. F. Smith.Open full-size map Map source

People and command

Chain of command

Fort Donelson · February 15, 1862

Selected field commanders during the breakout battle. Connected branches show command responsibility; this is not a complete roster of officers or units.

United States

Overall land command
Ulysses S. Grant
Commanded the U.S. force at Fort Donelson and ordered the afternoon counterattacks.
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Confederacy

Fort Donelson garrison
John B. Floyd
Held senior command of the garrison during the February 15 breakout battle.
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- Breakout attack · left wing
  Gideon J. Pillow
  Directed the main attack and ordered the troops back inside the defenses.
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  - Left-wing infantry
    Bushrod R. Johnson
    Assisted Pillow in directing the infantry attack against McClernand’s division.
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  - Cavalry · attack support
    Nathan Bedford Forrest
    Commanded the cavalry supporting Pillow’s attack and later led the mounted escape.
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- Right-wing division
  Simon B. Buckner
  Supported the breakout and returned to confront Smith’s advance against his earthworks.
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Other people

People discussed in the episode outside the formation command tree above.

Confederacy
Jeffrey E. Forrest
Forrest’s younger brother and lieutenant; accompanied him while checking the reported U.S. line on the escape route
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Historical images

Nathan Bedford Forrest in a carte-de-visite portrait made between 1863 and 1870. He was a lieutenant colonel commanding cavalry at Fort Donelson. · Image source and credits

A period print of the Battle of Fort Donelson. It is an artistic representation, not a literal record of Forrest’s attack or escape. · Image source and credits

Sources and image credits

POSTSCRIPT: FORREST'S BREAKOUT

Episode at a glance

Forces and losses

Battle Flow

The breakout force assembles

Maps

People and command

Fort Donelson · February 15, 1862

United States

Ulysses S. Grant

John A. McClernand

Charles F. Smith

Lew Wallace

Confederacy

John B. Floyd

Gideon J. Pillow

Bushrod R. Johnson

Nathan Bedford Forrest

Simon B. Buckner

Other people

Jeffrey E. Forrest

Historical images

Wartime portrait of Nathan Bedford Forrest

Nineteenth-century print showing the Battle of Fort Donelson