Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/117

 the far West at that time. He sent Grant to Cai-ro, at the mouth of the O-hi-o. His first work was to block all roads and streams so that arms and food could not get through the lines to aid the foe. Most of the men with Grant had been brought up on farms and knew not the art of war, though they were good shots. He did fine work at that post and won praise.

GUNBOATS ON THE TENNESSEE.

From Cai-ro Grant went up the Ten-nes-see Ri-ver to Fort Hen-ry. Ere he got there a fleet of gun-boats, in charge of Com. Foote, took the fort, though a large part of the foe had left the fort by land and were then at Fort Don-el-son. Grant's troops went there and with hard work took it, Feb. 16, 1862.

This broke up the whole line of the foe and put it far back in Ten-nes-see. Boats of the North could now sail up three great streams. From Co-lum-bus and some points in Ken-tuck-y, the troops of the South went back for fear their posts would be cut off by Un-ion troops on their march.

More men were then sent on steam boats up the Ten-nes-see to join Grant's force. They made camp at Pitts-burgh Land-ing on the west side of the stream in the south