[After the fall of Fort Donelson Grant was promoted to the grade of
major-general. Had this victory been immediately followed up, he
believed that the entire southwest would have offered little
resistance; and had there been one general who would have taken the
responsibility and been in command of all the troops west of the
Alleghanies, the duration of the war would have been far briefer than
it was.
Corinth was the junction of the two most important railroads in the
Mississippi Valley. It was the great strategic position in the West
between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers, and between Nashville
and Vicksburg. If the Union troops obtained possession of Corinth the
Confederates would have no railroad for transportation of armies or
supplies until that running east from Vicksburg was reached.
The enemy was in force at Corinth, March 17th. He attacked Shiloh,
April 6th, was defeated April 7th, and evacuated Corinth May 30th.
Up to this time, Grant had believed that the rebellion would suddenly
collapse if a decisive victory could be gained. Donelson and Henry
were such victories, but now that the Confederates had collected new
armies and assumed the offensive, he gave up all idea of saving the
Union except by complete conquest. Hitherto, he had protected the
property of both Federal and Confederate. Now he began a new policy;
he consumed everything that could be used to support armies, regarding
supplies within reach of the Confederates as contraband as arms or
ordnance stores. This policy, he says, exercised a material influence
in hastening the end.
July 11th, Halleck is appointed to the command of all the armies, with
headquarters at Washington. Grant now has his headquarters at Corinth
in command of the District of West Tennessee. He is practically a
department commander.]
Corinth, Mississippi,
August 3d, 1862.