With the collapse of the Confederate defenses at Forts Henry and Donelson on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, the entire Tennessee Valley was open to Union invasion and control. These Northern victories set up the 1864 Atlanta Campaign that cut the Confederacy in two. Had Confederate planning and leadership been better, no one can say what difference it might have made to the Civil War in the West and the outcome of the war itself.

From plowshares to swords, March-August 1861 -- Two gunboats on western waters, 1861 -- Autumn of blunders, September-December 1861 -- Prelude to battle, January 1862 59 -- The Battle of Fort Henry, February 2-6, 1862 -- The Tennessee River Raid, February 6-12, 1862 -- Gathering of the hosts, February 7-11, 1862 -- First contact, Tuesday, February 12, 1862 -- Opening round, Wednesday, February 13, 1862 -- The vise tightens, Thursday, February 14, 1862 -- The Confederate attack, Saturday morning, February 15, 1862 -- The afternoon of decision, Saturday, February 15, 1862 -- A disgraceful surrender, Sunday, February 16, 1862 -- The final analysis.