of the campaign, of which he knew nothing, and then adds: "But it
strikes me that to operate from Louisville and Paducah or Cairo,
against an enemy at Bowling Green, is a plain case of exterior
lines, like that of McDowell and Patterson, which, unless each of
the columns is superior to the enemy, leads to disaster ninety-nine
times in a hundred."

On the 30th of January, Buell received a despatch from Halleck,
without particulars, saying that he had ordered an expedition
against Fort Henry. On the 15th of February Halleck telegraphed
Buell "to move from Bowling Green to Nashville is not good strategy.
Come and help me take and hold Fort Donelson and Clarksville, then
move to Florence, cutting the railroad at Decatur, and Nashville
must be abandoned precisely as Bowling Green has been." After the
fall of Fort Donelson, and the occupation of Nashville, General
Halleck directed a column of troops under General C. F. Smith to
proceed up the Tennessee River by steamer, and to operate as occasion
presented, either on Corinth, Jackson, or Humboldt, destroying the
railroad communications at these points. At this time Halleck had
no thought of the subsequent movement of the command, that Johnston
would concentrate at Corinth, or that the Armies of the Ohio and
Tennessee should unite at Pittsburg Landing. On the 15th General
Smith dropped down the river to Pittsburg Landing, and there placed
his troops in camp. On the 11th of March, President Lincoln,
by War Order No. 3, created the Department of the Mississippi,
consolidating the three departments under Generals Halleck, Hunter,
and Buell, and placed General Halleck in command. Halleck at once
ordered Buell to march his army to Savannah, and to execute the
movements that had already been agreed on by them.