A.S. Johnston evacuated
Bowling Green on February 14th, and on the 17th and 18th moved with the
main body of his troops from Nashville to Murfreesboro. The rear-guard
left Nashville on the night of the 23d, and the advance of Buell's army
appeared next morning on the opposite bank of the river. Columbus was
evacuated shortly after. The National authority was re-established over
the whole of Kentucky, the State of Tennessee was opened to the advance
of both army and fleet, and the Mississippi was cleared down to Island
Number Ten.

General Halleck telegraphed on February 17th, the day after the
surrender, to General McClellan: "Make Buell, Grant, and Pope
major-generals of volunteers, and give me command in the West. I ask
this in return for Donelson and Henry." Next day, the 18th, he
telegraphed to General Hunter, commanding the Department of Kansas,
thanking him for his aid in sending troops; and to Grant, ordering him
not to let the gunboats go up higher than Clarksville, whence they must
return to Cairo immediately upon the destruction of the bridge and
railroad. On the 19th he telegraphed to Washington: "Smith, by his
coolness and bravery at Fort Donelson, when the battle was against us,
turned the tide and carried the enemy's outworks. Make him a
major-general. You cannot get a better one. Honor him for this victory,
and the whole country will applaud." On the 20th he telegraphed to
McClellan, "I must have command of the armies in the West. Hesitation
and delay are losing us the golden opportunity." Upon the receipt in
Washington of the news of the surrender of Fort Donelson, the President
at once appointed Grant major-general, and the Senate immediately
confirmed the appointment. Buell and Pope shortly after received the
same promotion. Later, in March, C.F. Smith, McClernand, and Lewis
Wallace were confirmed to the same rank. On March 11th, General Halleck
was assigned to the command of the Department of the Mississippi,
embracing all the troops west of a line drawn north and south
indefinitely through Knoxville, Tenn., and east of the western boundary
of Arkansas and Missouri. On February 15th, Grant had been assigned to
the command of the Military District of Tennessee, the limits of which
were not defined, and General W.T. Sherman succeeded to the command of
the District of Cairo.

CHAPTER IV.

NEW MADRID AND ISLAND NUMBER TEN.

A division belonging to General Pope's command in Missouri went with