James D. Porter, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.1, Tennessee
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[10] marched through the country from Union City, Tenn., with a brigade of about 3,000 infantry, composed of the Fifth Tennessee, Col. William H. Stephens; the Ninth Tennessee, Col. H. L. Douglass; Blythe's Mississippi regiment, Col. A. K. Blythe; Miller's Mississippi battalion of cavalry, Lieut.-Col. J. H. Miller, and Capt. Melancthon Smith's Mississippi battery of six field pieces. By the 21st of August General Pillow's command had increased to 10,000 men of all arms, 2,000 of whom were Missourians, the balance Tennesseeans, with the exceptions named. The movement contemplated the occupation of Ironton and St. Louis, but was largely dependent upon the cooperation of Brigadier-General Hardee, then stationed at Greenville, Mo., near the border of Arkansas, with a command of about 5,000 Arkansas troops. This command was so deficient in arms, clothing and transportation that a forward movement was impossible. General Hardee therefore retired to Pitman's Ferry, on the Arkansas river, and the campaign for the redemption of Missouri was abandoned.

On the 3d of September the troops were transferred to Hickman and Columbus, Ky., the occupation of which points brought forth a vigorous protest from Governor Harris, of Tennessee, who had undertaken to have observed the legislative neutrality of the State of Kentucky. President Davis was solicitous on this point. He, too, wished to observe ‘Kentucky neutrality,’ but in a dispatch to General Polk, dated the 4th of September, after the occupation of Columbus, he said, ‘The necessity justifies the action.’ Reinforcements were sent to General Polk, mainly from Tennessee; strong lines of earthworks were provided, siege guns of the largest caliber were placed in a fort commanding the river front, and very soon Columbus became strongly fortified. At this time Brig.-Gen. U. S. Grant, U. S. V., commanded the district of Cairo, Ill., with Brig.-Gen. C. F. Smith in charge of the troops stationed at Paducah, Ky.