547
There has been much discussion as to who originated the movement upthe Tennessee River . Grant made it, and it made Grant. It was obviousenough to all the leaders on both sides. General Johnston wrote, January 22d:
“ To suppose, with the facilities of movement by water which the well-filled rivers of theOhio, Cumberland, and Tennessee give for active operations, that they will suspend them inTennessee and Kentucky during the winter months is a delusion. All the resources of theConfederacy are now needed for the defense of Tennessee .”
Great efforts were made to guard against it, but the popular fatuity andapathy prevented adequate preparations. General Polk says in a report,“ The principal difficulty in the way of a successful defense of the riversin question was the want of an adequate force.” It was only one of a numberof possible and equally fatal movements, which could not have been properlymet and resisted except by a larger force than was to be had. General John-ston could not reduce the force at Columbus without imperiling the Missis-sippi River , and this was not even debatable. Nor could he hazard the loss ofNashville , if it could be saved. He was compelled, therefore, to take the riskat Forts Henry and Donelson. The thrust was made at Henry, and it fell.
As soon as General Johnston learned of the movement against Fort Henryhe resolved to fall back to the line of the Cumberland, and make the defenseof Nashville at Donelson. Buell was in his front with 90,000 men, and tosave Nashville—Buell’s objective point—he had to fall back upon it with partof his army. He kept for this purpose 14,000 men, including his sick,— only8500 effectives in all,—to confront Buell’s 90,000 men, and concentrated atFort Donelson 17,000 men under Floyd, Pillow, and Buckner, his three mostexperienced generals, to meet Grant, who had 28,000 troops, but was reported
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COLONEL SCHOEPF’S TROOPS CROSSING FISHING CREEK. ON THE WAY TO JOIN GENERAL THOMASAT LOGAN’S CROSS ROADS, OR MILL SPRINGS. FROM A LITHOGRAPH.