He had been made prominent by a daring fight at Belmont, Missouri, on the 7th of November (1861) against a largely superior force under the command of the Confederate General Pillow.

For the numbers engaged it was one of the most sanguinary conflicts of the war.
The quarter-master of the expedition intimated to General Grant that in case of a reverse he had but two small steamers for transportation to the Illinois shore.

The General's only reply was that in the event of his defeat "the steamers would hold all that would be left." He was now in command at Cairo, and co-operating with him was a flotilla of hastily constructed gunboats under the command of Flag-officer A.H.Foote of the navy.

General Grant evidently interpreted Mr.Lincoln's order to mean that he need not wait until the 22d, and he began his movement of the first day of February.
By the 16th he had captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.

The flotilla had been more active than the troops, against Fort Henry, which was speedily evacuated, but Fort Donelson did not surrender until after a hard-fought land battle in which the characteristic tenacity, skill, and bravery of General Grant were for the first time fully shown to the country.