At these points the two rivers approached within eleven miles of each other.

The lines of rifle pits at each place extended back from the water at least two miles, so that the garrisons were in reality only seven miles apart.

These positions were of immense importance to the enemy; and of course correspondingly important for us to possess ourselves of.

With Fort Henry in our hands we had a navigable stream open to us up to Muscle Shoals, in Alabama.
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad strikes the Tennessee at Eastport, Mississippi, and follows close to the banks of the river up to the shoals.

This road, of vast importance to the enemy, would cease to be of use to them for through traffic the moment Fort Henry became ours.
Fort Donelson was the gate to Nashville--a place of great military and political importance--and to a rich country extending far east in Kentucky.