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Fort Donelson

Battles
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A 1862 Union victory in the Civil War, Grant’s first major success, opening Tennessee to invasion.

Detailed Definition
Fort Donelson marked the rise of Grant and the Union’s western strategy. In poetry, it symbolizes relentless determination and the shift toward total war—appearing in American verse as a moment when “unconditional surrender” became a mantra of resolve, reflecting the war’s growing moral and strategic clarity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Fort Donelson, Grant’s 1862 victory, appears in Union poetry as “unconditional surrender” born; A modern sonnet might frame Fort Donelson’s river walls as keys to the South; In a dramatic lyric, a Confederate prisoner recalls Grant’s stern terms at Fort Donelson; A free-verse elegy could mourn the Tennessee winter’s bite during the siege; Contemporary poets use Fort Donelson to explore the rise of total war; A haiku might capture ice melting on the Cumberland after Fort Donelson’s fall.
Additional Notes
Fort Donelson (1862) was Grant’s first major victory, earning him the nickname “Unconditional Surrender”; in Civil War poetry, it marks the rise of a new kind of general—relentless, pragmatic—and the war’s shift toward total conflict.
Also Known As
Siege of Fort Donelson
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