William A. Crafts, Life of Ulysses S. Grant: His Boyhood, Campaigns, and Services, Military and Civil.

[30] it. General Halleck, in a manner which he more than once afterwards assumed towards Grant, so sharply and hastily disapproved it, that the subject was at once dropped. Halleck appears at this time, and until after he was appointed general-in-chief, to have entertained a poor opinion of Grant's abilities, though he afterwards came to recognize them. But the advantage of capturing Fort Henry, opening the Tennessee to the rear of the rebel positions, though not apparent to McClellan and Halleck, was so impressed upon Grant's mind, that about the end of January he again applied to Halleck for permission to make the advance. Commodore Foote, commanding the naval force at Cairo, also wrote to Halleck recommending such a movement. The desired permission was obtained, and on the 2d of February Grant left Cairo with seventeen thousand men on transports, accompanied by seven gunboats under Commodore Foote. Making a reconnoissance himself on board one of the gunboats, so as to draw the fire of the rebel guns and ascertain their range, Grant landed his advance forces just out of range. This force, under McClernand, was to move out to the rear of the fort to intercept retreat and cut off reenforcements, while the gunboats undertook to reduce the fort on the river front. All Grant's forces were not up, but it was deemed important that there should be no delay, and he instructed McClernand that success might depend on the celerity of his movements. The troops moved from the river on the morning of February 6; and the gunboats at the same time moved up to attack the fort. Commodore Foote was not prepared for so speedy success as his heavy guns achieved; for after a