Which Units escaped Fort Donelson???

[Deleted member 8452]

I know Forrest's Cavalry were able to escape through an opening in the Union Army's Line and Wharton's 2 Virginia Regiments (56th and 51st) were able to escape on a steam boat, but had to leave a couple men on the shore. Does anyone know of another units that were able to escape Fort Donelson?

 

[Sid J.]

I think the 36th VA and 50th VA also got out.

 

[Deleted member 8452]

I think the 36th VA and 50th VA also got out.

Yeah I know some Virginia Regiments were able to get off by a steamboat wasn't sure which regiments, i know most of the 56th Virginia got on but had to leave 80 men at the fort because the steamboat was full. I know several men in the regiment also deserted around the battle and traveled through enemy territory back to Virginia, through mountains. I believe the entire 51st Virginia was able to get on, as well as the 50th and 36th those four units probably had to leave most of there wounded and sick behind.

 

[Sid J.]

Yeah I know some Virginia Regiments were able to get off by a steamboat wasn't sure which regiments, i know most of the 56th Virginia got on but had to leave 80 men at the fort because the steamboat was full. I know several men in the regiment also deserted around the battle and traveled through enemy territory back to Virginia, through mountain. I believe the entire 51st Virginia was able to get on, as well as the 50th and 36th those four units probably had to leave most of there wounded and sick behind.

In my notes I have these same 4 regiments at Murfreesboro on 3/20:
Regiment -- present for duty
51 VA. ----- 274
56 VA ------ 184
36 VA ------ 243
50 VA ------ 285

 

[Deleted member 8452]

In my notes I have these same 4 regiments at Murfreesboro on 3/20:
Regiment -- present for duty
51 VA. ----- 274
56 VA ------ 184
36 VA ------ 243
50 VA ------ 285

the 56th was able to get its strength up to 466 in time for Gaines Mill,

I don't much about the other three units, i believe they all served in the Shenandoah Valley though.

 

[Elennsar]

I believe some of the men in Bushrod Johnson's brigade at Shiloh were Donelson escapees, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[gunny]

To my knowledge, only Forrest's cavalry and the majority of the Virginia units made it out. Other than that, it was small numbers of men from other regiments that refused to be taken captive.

 

[TerryB]

Some individuals joined Forrest, others just walked away on their own. Jordan and Pryor gave the number surrendered as 9500, but most historians believe it was between 12,500 and 13,500.

 

[DixieRifles]

To my knowledge, only Forrest's cavalry and the majority of the Virginia units made it out. Other than that, it was small numbers of men from other regiments that refused to be taken captive.

That is what you usually hear; Forrest took his cavalry and escaped.

Here are some highlights from "Where the South Lost the War" by Kendall D. Gott.

Capt Robert Hughes of FLoyd's staff directed to gather up his staff and collect the Virginia men and the 20 Mississippi for evacuation.
By 4;00 on Sunday morning, Feb 16, Forrest and about 400 men were ready to depart. Gantt and 9 Tenn had not yet come up and Major Kelley was sent for a 3rd time to hasten their arrival. But Gantt and his men responded to each offer in the negative(? refuse to leave?). Two the Tennessee companies felt differently and cast their lot with Forrest, but two companies under command of Captains James K. Huey and M. D. Wilcox, failed to rejoin the regiment. They would never serve with him again.
As the gray column passed through Dover, Forrest discovered General Pilllow, who he expected to escort, had already crossed the Cumberland by boat. As they made their way through the camps, men who were lucky or resourceful enough to find a horse joined with Forrest. Artillerymen unhitched their horses from their limbers and joined the column which swelled to over 500 men.

The appendix lists the strength of Forrest's Cavalry at 1,444 men.
But
KIA = 14
WiA = 25
Surrendered= 619
Escaped = 786

Well, his book has the same statistics for ALL CS units. Here are the total Escaped for a few more units.
10 Tenn Regt = 44
53 Tenn Regt = 48
8 Kentucky Regt = 31
7 Texas Regt = 31

5th Brigade == 478
51 Virginia = 225
56 Virginia = 253

6th Brigade == 572
20 Miss Regt = 30
36 Virginia = 220
50 Virginia = 322

26 Miss Regt = 26

LEFT WING - Buckner
2 Kentucky Regt = 48
14 Miss Regt = 3
41 Tenn Regt = 26

50 Tenn Regt = 95

ARTILLERY
10 Batteries -- = 185 total escaped

Grand TOTALS
Left Wing == 1,264
Right Wing == 86
Command under Col Head/Bailey == 97
Artillery == 185
Cavalry == 786


Other assorted regiments had 1, 3 or so to escape. Now maybe not ALL of these Escapees went with Forrest. They took the easy route and crossed the Cumberland by boats.

 

[Deleted member 8452]

That is what you usually hear; Forrest took his cavalry and escaped.

Here are some highlights from "Where the South Lost the War" by Kendall D. Gott.

Capt Robert Hughes of FLoyd's staff directed to gather up his staff and collect the Virginia men and the 20 Mississippi for evacuation.
By 4;00 on Sunday morning, Feb 16, Forrest and about 400 mean were ready to depart. Gantt and 9 Tenn had not yet come up and Major Kelley was sent for a 3rd time to hasten their arrival. But Gantt and his men responded to each offer in the negative(? refuse to leave?). Two the Tennessee companies felt differently and cast their lot with Forrest, but two companies under command of Captains James K. Huey and M. D. Wilcox, failed to rejoin the regiment. They would never serve with him again.
As the gray column passed through Dover, Forrest discovered General Pilllow, who he expected to escort, had already crossed the Cumberland by boat. As they made their way through the camps, men who were lucky or resourceful enough to find a horse joined with Forrest. Artillerymen unhitched their horses from their limbers and joined the column which swelled to over 500 men.

The appendix lists the strength of Forrest's Cavalry at 1,444 men.
But
KIA = 14
WiA = 25
Surrendered= 619
Escaped = 786

Well, his book has the same statistics for ALL CS units. Here are the total Escaped for a few more units.
10 Tenn Regt = 44
53 Tenn Regt = 48
8 Kentucky Regt = 31
7 Texas Regt = 31

5th Brigade == 478
51 Virginia = 225
56 Virginia = 253

6th Brigade == 572
20 Miss Regt = 30
36 Virginia = 220
50 Virginia = 322

26 Miss Regt = 26

LEFT WING - Buckner
2 Kentucky Regt = 48
14 Miss Regt = 3
41 Tenn Regt = 26

50 Tenn Regt = 95

ARTILLERY
10 Batteries -- = 185 total escaped

Grand TOTALS
Left Wing == 1,264
Right Wing == 86
Command under Col Head/Bailey == 97
Artillery == 185
Cavalry == 786


Other assorted regiments had 1, 3 or so to escape. Now maybe not ALL of these Escapees went with Forrest. They took the easy route and crossed the Cumberland by boats.

Thanks for that index!!!!

Both my relatives in the 56th Virginia were able to escape

 

[DixieRifles]

Sure seems like those Virginian's were the type who didn't like to give up.

 

[Eagle eye]

Sure seems like those Virginian's were the type who didn't like to give up.

---------------////---------////-----------

It may seem that way but since Floyd only had 2 boats to get his troops out of Donaldson he had his Virgina Regts board them & left his Mississippi Regts at the docks to be captured… Pillow, on the other hand, could only find an old rowboat to escape across the river to stay out of the hands of Grants men. I sure wouldn't hold those 2 "Gentlemen" up as shining examples of chivalrous Virginans.

 

[Deleted member 8452]

---------------////---------////-----------

It may seem that way but since Floyd only had 2 boats to get his troops out of Donaldson he had his Virgina Regts board them & left his Mississippi Regts at the docks to be captured… Pillow, on the other hand, could only find an old rowboat to escape across the river to stay out of the hands of Grants men. I sure wouldn't hold those 2 "Gentlemen" up as shining examples of chivalrous Virginans.

Pillow was from Tennessee

Floyd was an Idiot

 

[Elennsar]

Pillow was from Tennessee

Floyd was an Idiot

In fairness to idiots, not all of them are gutless responsibility ducking cowards.

DixieRifles, is Forrest's cavalry in the figures you quoted above considered all the cavalry at the fort, or? Because that looks like more than one regiment's worth of men all totalled. Just making sure I understand.

 

[Eagle eye]

Pillow was from Tennessee

Floyd was an Idiot

LOL Seth… Didn't mean to insult Tennessee …Pillow IMO was an idiot also.
Neither Officer displayed much honor as solders at any rate.

 

[Deleted member 8452]

LOL Seth… Didn't mean to insult Tennessee …Pillow IMO was an idiot also.
Neither Officer displayed much honor as solders at any rate.

Agreed!
and U.S. Grant said of him (Floyd) "He is not soldier,

One man who knew what he was doing at Donelson was Buckner.

 

[DixieRifles]

DixieRifles, is Forrest's cavalry in the figures you quoted above considered all the cavalry at the fort, or? Because that looks like more than one regiment's worth of men all totalled. Just making sure I understand.

I think you understood me right. But according to the text and the table, all the cavalry didn't get out.

Here is the table listing Strength, PW & Escaped for the Cavalry

Commander Forrest
3 Tenn - Forrest ..... 600 .... PW 107 .......Esc 470
9 Tenn - Gantt .......340 ......PW 303 ..... Esc 31
Co. D, 1 KY - Williams ...(85).....PW (45) ..... Esc (40)
Co. G, 1 KY - Wilcox.....(85)..... PW 0 ........ Esc 85
Co. K, 1 KY - Huey ..... 112 ..... PW 112 ...... Esc 0
Melton's KY - Melton .... 52 ..... PW 52 ........Esc 0
Co. E, 11 TN$ - Gordon ..(85).......PW 0 ....... Esc (78)
Co. E, 11 TN$ - Martin ..(85).......PW 0 ....... Esc (82)

TOTALS Strength 1,444... KIA 14 ...WIA 25 ....PW 619 ....Esc 786

$ - book shows same unit and company?
(_) are estimates

 

[Eagle eye]

Agreed!
and U.S. Grant said of him (Floyd) "He is not soldier,

One man who knew what he was doing at Donelson was Buckner.

-------------------------------/-------------
Agreed…a very good solder & a real gentleman…wonder if he & Grant ever shook hands again.

 

[Elennsar]

I think you understood me right. But according to the text and the table, all the cavalry didn't get out.

Here is the table listing Strength, PW & Escaped for the Cavalry

Commander Forrest
3 Tenn - Forrest ..... 600 .... PW 107 .......Esc 470
9 Tenn - Gantt .......340 ......PW 303 ..... Esc 31
Co. D, 1 KY - Williams ...(85).....PW (45) ..... Esc (40)
Co. G, 1 KY - Wilcox.....(85)..... PW 0 ........ Esc 85
Co. K, 1 KY - Huey ..... 112 ..... PW 112 ...... Esc 0
Melton's KY - Melton .... 52 ..... PW 52 ........Esc 0
Co. E, 11 TN$ - Gordon ..(85).......PW 0 ....... Esc (78)
Co. E, 11 TN$ - Martin ..(85).......PW 0 ....... Esc (82)

TOTALS Strength 1,444... KIA 14 ...WIA 25 ....PW 619 ....Esc 786

$ - book shows same unit and company?
(_) are estimates

Thanks. Interesting data there.

 

[Deleted member 8452]

-------------------------------/-------------
Agreed…a very good solder & a real gentleman…wonder if he & Grant ever shook hands again.

Grant actually offered him money and had a friendly conversation with Buckner after the surrender.

Makes you realize how sad the civil war was, i mean while many men had hate that burned through them. Most of them realized they used to be countrymen, and that their relatives has served together in the Revolution and War of 1812.

With any civil war battle you will hear mixed attitudes toward wounded and prisoners, but their was always acts of kindness.

In my 56th Virginia Regimental Book they talk about a soldier in the 56th who was wounded in the shoulder during Pickett's Charge, and the men that saved him and asked if he was ok, was the Pennsylvanian Union soldier who shot him, the Pennsylvanian than escorted the wounded confederate to a field hospital.

At Second Manassas a soldier in the 8th Virginia went to the dying Colonel Fletcher Webster of the 12th Massachusetts and the colonel gave the Virginian his wallet and personal effects asking him to return it to his family. The Soldier in the "Bloody Eight"survived the war and returned the wallet to the New England Webster family, the confederate was received with much praise and appreciation form the Webster family.