Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

---

[485] have foreseen the check of that hazardous movement, as the position of Bowling Green could not long be defended against Buell's army after it had lost the point d'appui which the position of Mill Springs afforded it on the extreme right. The Federals, being masters of the Upper Cumberland, could take Bowling Green completely in the rear. It was, therefore, along the Cumberland that Johnston had to look for a new line of defence whose centre should be at Nashville; but in that case the possession of Fort Donelson became the much more important, since that fort alone was able to stop Federal vessels on the Cumberland and protect the capital of Tennessee. Consequently, when Grant had broken at Fort Henry one link in the chain upon which all the system of his adversary's defences rested, the latter hastened to repair the want of foresight which had caused this weak portion of his line to be neglected. While his materiel, followed by the bulk of his army, was gradually proceeding from Bowling Green towards Nashville, he concentrated all his available forces at Fort Donelson. General Pillow, the same who as division commander in Mexico had caused so much trouble to General Scott, had joined with his division on the 9th of February the garrison of Fort Henry, which had taken refuge in Fort Donelson since the rout of the 5th. Buckner with his division from Bowling Green had arrived on the 11th. He was followed on the 12th and the 13th by General Floyd, at the head of a strong brigade of Virginians from Russellville and Cumberland City, whither those troops had retired and reorganized after their defeat in West Virginia a few months previously. The Confederates did wrong to reward the criminal services Mr. Floyd had rendered them whilst Secretary of War in Washington by entrusting him with important military commands; they paid dear for this error. Floyd took command of the little army, numbering from fifteen to sixteen thousand men, whose mission was to keep Grant in check. After having determined to place it at some distance above Dover, so as to harass the Federals if they should besiege Fort Donelson, he decided at the last moment to keep the whole of it inside of the exterior works which had been roughly constructed on the surrounding positions. The Federals on their side collected all their forces in order to strike a decisive blow. All the available