Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/239

Rh day for a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces:

That, especially, The army at and about Fortress Monroe, The army of the Potomac, The army of Western Virginia, The army near Munfordville, Ky., The army and flotilla at Cairo,

And a naval force in the Gulf of Mexico be ready for a movement on that day ;

That other forces, both land and naval, with their respective commanders, obey existing orders for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders when duly given;

That the heads of departments, and especially the secretaries of war and of the navy, with all their subordinates, and the general-in-chief, with all other commanders and subordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for the prompt execution of this order.

This peculiar order, issued early after Stanton's accession to the office of war secretary, and in the midst of winter, betrayed the impatience as well as the satisfaction of the President, and possibly was chiefly aimed at McClellan, the general-in-chief, who was strenuously devoting himself to the preparation of an army which could defeat the Confederates under Johnston and capture Richmond. The Federal forces in the West began to move about the 1st of February, without waiting for the President's appointed time to arrive. Buell made an attempt to enter east Tennessee, but being diverted from that purpose concentrated near Munfordville. The military forces in Halleck's department, with the gunboats designed for an expedition on the Tennessee river, all under command of General Grant, also responded to War Order No. 1 in advance of the designated date. This movement, made first against Fort Henry, resulted in the fall of that work on February 6th, and the surrender of Fort Donelson about ten days later. Nashville, neces-