336 The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War

sage, “ I believe he will add fifty per cent, to theeffectiveness of your cavalry.” Altogether, thisforce of 27,000 was inadequate to cope with Hood’s40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry led by the re-doubtable Forrest. But Sherman sent to Missouri for an additional force of 14,000 men, commandedby Andrew Jackson Smith, of the regular army,an able general. In September the irrepressibleSterling Price had bounced up once more in Mis­ souri , and Smith had been busy in driving him outof the state. So important was it to get Smithand his men into Tennessee without delay thatGrant sent his chief of staff all the way to St. Louis to urge the business forward. It was hopedthat they would be ready to leave St. Louis onNovember 10, but the march across the whole stateof Missouri consumed many days. Smith did notarrive in St. Louis until the 24th, and then itwas not until the last day of the month that hearrived at Nashville and effected a junction withThomas. At the same time a crowd of some 5000belated men, returning from various parts of thecountry to their commands, were sent up to Nash­ ville from Chattanooga and organized into a pro-visional division, under General Steedman. Otherfloating molecules, aggregating into a mass of 4000or so, and including several regiments of colouredtroops, came in early in December, and likewise