but it would be of restricted
use unless Fort Donelson should also be taken. At this point the
Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers are only twelve miles apart. The little
town of Dover stood upon a bluff on the left bank of the Cumberland.
Immediately above it, two small brooks empty into the river, making a
valley or bottom overflowed by every high water. Immediately below the
town is Indian Creek. One branch of it, rising close by the head of the
upper one of the two brooks, flowing outwardly from the river toward the
west, then bending to the north and northeast, makes almost the circuit
of the town, about half a mile from it, before emptying into the creek.
Several small brooks, flowing from the north into Indian Creek, make
deep ravines, which leave a series of ridges, very irregular in outline,
but generally parallel to the river. About half a mile below the mouth
of Indian Creek, Hickman Creek, flowing eastwardly, empties into the
river at right angles with it. Small branches running into Hickman Creek
almost interlock with those emptying into Indian Creek, whereby the
series of ridges parallel to the river are made to extend continuously
from the valley of one creek to the valley of the other.

Fort Donelson, a bastioned earthwork, was erected on the river-bluff,
between the two creeks, its elevation being one hundred feet above the
water. A bend in the river gives the fort command over it as far as its
armament could carry. On the slope of the ridge facing down stream, two
water-batteries were excavated. The lower battery and larger one, was so
excavated as to leave traverses between the guns. A ten-inch columbiad
and nine thirty-two pound guns constituted the armament of the lower
battery; a rifled piece, carrying a conical ball of one hundred and
twenty-eight pounds, with two thirty-two pound carronades, the armament
of the upper. These water-batteries were, according to Colonel J.D.
Webster, General Grant's chief of staff, thirty feet above the
water-level at the time of the attack. Colonel Gilmer, the engineer who
constructed them, reported them as being fifty feet above the
water-level; but it does not appear at what stage of the water. As the
narrow channel of the river allowed an attacking party to present only a
narrow front, the batteries required but little horizontal range for
their guns, and the embrasures were accordingly made quite narrow. Eight
additional guns were in the fort.

Colonel Gilmer, goi