ion of the war make the speedy
occupation of East Tennessee and its lines of railway matters of
absolute necessity. Bowling Green and Nashville are in that connection
of very secondary importance at the present moment." General Grant wrote
no reasoned speculations about it, but throughout January pressed
Halleck for permission to make the attempt.

[Illustration: The Line from Columbus to Bowling Green.]

On January 6, 1862, Grant wrote to General Halleck for permission to
visit St. Louis. On the same day General Halleck, in pursuance of orders
received from General McClellan, who was then in Washington in supreme
command of the United States forces, directed General Grant to make a
demonstration on Mayfield, in the direction of Murray. He was directed
to "make a great fuss about moving all your force toward Nashville," and
let it be understood that twenty or thirty thousand men are expected
from Missouri. He was further directed to give this out to the
newspapers, and not let his own men or even his staff know the contrary.
At the same time he was advised that the real object was to prevent
reinforcements being sent to Buckner, and charged not to advance far
enough to expose his flank or rear to an attack from Columbus, and by
all means to avoid a serious engagement. On the 10th, Halleck
telegraphed to delay; but Grant was already gone, with McClernand and
6,000 men from Cairo and Bird's Point, and had sent General C.F. Smith
from Paducah with two brigades. The troops were out more than a week.
The weather was cold, with rain and snow. The excursion was good
practice in campaigning for the new volunteers, and detained
reinforcements at Columbus while General George H. Thomas fought and won
the battle of Mill Springs, in Kentucky.

General Grant, on his return to Cairo, wrote again on January 20th for
permission to visit St. Louis. Receiving General Smith's report on the
22d, in which Smith said that the capture of Fort Henry was
feasible--that two guns would make short work of it, he at once
forwarded the report to St. Louis, and on the same day obtained the
permission sought. When he began to unfold the object of his visit, to
obtain permission to capture Henry and Donelson, Halleck silenced him so
quickly and sharply that he said no more, and returned to Cairo
believing his commander thought him guilty of proposing a military
blunder. But, persisting still, he telegraphed on the 28th that, if
permitted, he would t