 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Tilghman akagadzwa colonel we3rd Kentucky Infantry musi waJuly 5, 1861, nguva pfupi pashure pokutanga kweHondo Yenyika yeAmerica. Akakwidziridzwa kuva brigadier general muConfederate States Army musi wa18 Gumiguru. Apo Mukuru Mukuru Albert Sidney Johnston akanga achitsvaka mukuru mukuru kuti agadzire nzvimbo dzokuzvidzivirira paTennessee neCumberland Rivers dzisina kudzivirirwa, akanga asingazivi nezvokuvapo kwaTilghman mubazi rake uye mumwe mukuru mukuru akasarudzwa. Zvisinei, hurumende yeRichmond yakaratidza ruzivo rwaTilghman rwouinjiniya uye pakupedzisira akasarudzwa nokuda kwebasa racho. Nzvimbo dzokutanga dzeFort Henry neDonelsonAkasarudzwa nomumwe mukuru mukuru, Daniel S. Donelson, asi Tilghman akabva apiwa basa rokutungamirira ndokuudzwa kuti avake. Nzvimbo yeFort Henry yakanga isina kunaka, iri panzvimbo ine mafashamo yeRwizi rweTennessee, asi Tilghman haana kupikisa nzvimbo yacho kusvikira yava kunonoka. Pashure pacho, akanyora zvinorwadza mumushumo wake kuti Fort Henry akanga ari munzvimbo inosiririsa yechiuto... Nhau yeinjiniya yechiuto haina zvinyorwa zvakafanana nenyaya iyi. Akangawo asina kutendeseka mukutarisira kuvakwa kwayo kwaidikanwa uye kweiyo yeFort Heiman duku, iri pamhenderekedzo yeKentucky yeTennessee, uye akapopotedzana navanjiniya vakapiwa basa racho. Iye akakwanisa kuita basa rinorumbidzwa zvikuru pakuvakwa kweFort Donelson, iyo yakanga iri panzvimbo yakaoma, ichidzora rwizi. 