tailing
how he harassed and hurt the Federals while in Nashville.

During the progress of these events on the Tennessee and Cumberland,
Richmond had been shaken by alternate spasms of suspense and premature
exultation.

Her citizens could scarcely yet realize that the hitherto despised
Yankees had been able to march, almost unchecked, into the heart of a
territory protected by southern forts, southern troops, and the noblest
names in all her bright array. Feeling thus, they still placed some
credence in any rumors that came.

One morning, news reached Richmond of a brilliant victory at Donelson,
and it was received with wild rejoicing. Next night the War Department
issued the stunning bulletin of the fall of Nashville! When this was
generally believed, a gloom settled over the Capital, such as no event
of the war had yet produced. The revulsion was too sudden and complete
to be met by reason, or argument; the depression was too hopeless and
despairing to be removed by any declaration of the valor of the
defense, of the orderly character of the retreat, or of the far
stronger position Johnston had gained by a concentration of his force
on a ground of his own choice.

The very name of gunboat began to have a shuddering significance to the
popular mind. A vague, shadowy power of evil far beyond that of any
floating thing, ancient or modern, was ascribed to it; and the wild
panic constantly created in the Federal mind the year before by the
dreaded name of "Black Horse," or the mere mention of masked
battery--was re-enacted by the South in deferential awe of those
floating terrors.

Under this morbid state of gloom, the Government fell into greater and
greater disfavor. Without much analytical reasoning, the people felt
there must have been a misuse of resources, at least great enough to
have prevented such wholesale disaster. Especial odium fell upon the
War Department and reacted upon the President for retaining
incapable--or, what was the same to them, unpopular--ministers in his
council at such vital moment. The press--in many instances filled with
gloomy forebodings and learned disquisitions on the I-told-you-so
principle, fanned the flame of discontent. Mr. Davis soon found
himself, from being the idol of the people, with nearly half the
country in open opposition to his views.

At this moment, perhaps, no one act could have encouraged this feeling
more than his relieving Floyd and Pillow from command, for aba