
surrender after the battle of Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson, near Dover, was the site of the first major Union victory in the Civil War.
The Battle of Fort Donelson left the city of Nashville wide open to invasion by the Union Army; it also established Ulysses S. Grant's reputation and gave him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender."

Stewart County is also known for its early iron industry. From the 1820s until the 1850s, iron mining and smelting took place at a pace unmatched in the South (see the article on the right) Today there are still remnants of this early iron industry in Stewart County.

The most intriguing remnant of the iron industry is called Bear Springs Furnace, which you can see on the side of the highway!
Here's the Stewart County Courthouse.