ce slow, but it
prevented the new troops from being worn out, and brought them in good
condition onto the field. General Buell intended to take at Waynesboro
the road to Hamburg Landing, instead of the direct road to Savannah, and
put his army there into a separate camp. General Nelson, however, moving
faster than was expected, drew the divisions behind him through
Waynesboro, on the road to Savannah, before General Buell issued the
order, and so unconsciously defeated the intention. Nelson's brigade
reached Savannah during April 5th, Crittenden's division camped that
night a few miles distant, and General Buell himself reached Savannah or
its outskirts some time in the evening.

General A.S. Johnston was encamped with his army at Edgefield, opposite
Nashville, on February 15th. A despatch from General Pillow that evening
announced a great victory won by the garrison of Fort Donelson. Just
before daybreak of the 16th another despatch was received, that Buckner
would capitulate at daylight. Immediately staff and orderlies were
aroused, and the troops put in motion across the river to Nashville. The
morning papers were filled with the "victory, glorious and complete,"
and the city was ringing with joy. In the forenoon the news spread of
the surrender of Donelson. The people were struck with dismay, the city
was in panic, the populace was delirious with excitement. A wild mob
surrounded Johnston's headquarters and demanded to know whether their
generals intended to fight or not.

Johnston immediately began the abandonment of Nashville. First were
sent off the fifteen hundred sick brought on from Bowling Green,
together with the tenants of the hospitals at Nashville. The railway was
then taxed to its utmost to carry away the stores of most value. It was
evident that all the stores could not be taken away, and pillage of
commissary stores and quartermaster stores by citizens was permitted. A
regiment of infantry and a battalion of cavalry were put on guard and
patrolled the streets to reduce the riotous to order. Johnston moved out
with his command on February 18th, leaving Floyd and Forrest with a
force in Nashville to preserve order, remove the public stores, and to
destroy what could not be removed.

Popular excitement always demands a victim, and the outcry was almost
universal that Johnston should be relieved from command. But, to a
deputation that went to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy,
with this requ