The Confederates built upper and lower river batteries in an attempt to defend the strategic transportation and supply routes provided by the river and protect major supply bases in Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee. They armed the batteries with heavy seacoast artillery.

On this site, untested Confederate gunners defeated Federal ironclad and timberclad gunboats under command of Flag Officer Andrew Foote.  Using the same tactics successfully employed at Fort Henry, Foote brought the gunboats very close to the Confederate artillery hoping to shell the batteries into submission.  Foote's flotilla became an excellent target for the Confederate guns, however, because of flooding, a higher elevation, and the slow movement of the heavy gunboats.  The Confederates inflicted serious damage to the gunboats and wounded many sailors.  Foote, a seasoned naval officer who was wounded in the exchange, reported to a newspaper that he had been in numerous engagements with forts and ships, "but never was under so severe fire before."  The roar of this land and naval battle was heard thirty-five miles away.

STOP 3   STOP 5

Ironclad Gunboats Tour Map