Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Chapter XXII: Operations in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Mississippi, North Alabama, and Southwest Virginia. March 4-June 10, 1862., Part II: Correspondence, Orders, and Returns.
Lieut. Col. Robert N. Scott, Ed.

[128] way would be lost. I trust you may think proper to reconsider this limitation of my authority and leave me free to act on my judgment, but of course with respectful deference to the opinion of the gallant officer in command of the Mississippi, by whose good advice I certainly shall not fail to profit. The work on the boats here has been much retarded by the flood, but they will all be ready as soon as I can engage their crews and get their outfits aboard. I will put a captain and engineers on the Mingo immediately. I wish to consult each captain in the choice of the crew for his own boat. I have no reason to doubt that the boats in preparation at the cities below will be ready as soon as I can proceed down the river from point to point and man and equip them.

Respectfully,

Your telegram received. Medary has been ordered to join you. Please report to me your plan of operations, and keep me advised daily of your movements, if possible. I shall be glad to aid you in everything within my power. Send me by mail your instructions and plan of operations.

General: I inclose a telegram just received from Washington.¹ I have answered the Secretary that we require every available man on this line, and that to send troops back to Nashville to accommodate Governor Johnson would be releasing our grasp on the enemy's throat in order to pare his toe-nails. However, I will leave the disposition of your troops east of the Tennessee River to your judgment.

Yours, truly,

Telegraph of yesterday is received. Will consult with General Buell to-day about Governor Johnson's dispatch. Troops cannot be detached from here on the eve of a great battle. We require every man we can get. We must act in mass or we shall be defeated. We car not hunt