Status - John Baer - 40th Indiana Regiment - Wood's Division
By March 3rd, almost all of Buell's divisions have reached Nashville. Not clear if Wood's division is fully at Nashville by this time, but they were probably there with all other divisions by the 6th.
Reconnaissance from beyond Nashville shows that the Condfederate army under Johnston has moved past Murfreesboro and is currently at Shelbyville, TN, about 45 miles SSW. They have destroyed railroads and bridges to hamper any forward movement by Buell.
The Confederate forces at Columbus, KY were withdrawn south toward Memphis, and the Union occupied Columbus on the 3rd. General Sherman reports the fort was taken and large amounts of armaments and supplies were captured.
It is becoming clear to both sides that the area east of Memphis, around Corinth, MS and nearby, the Tennessee River from Savannah, TN south into Alabama will be the next critical strategic area in the west. Union gunboats have already moved up the Tennessee, and are attacking road and rail bridges. The plan is to move the Union troops from the Cumberland River to advance up the Tennessee.
General P.G.T. Beauregard, newly arrived from Virginia, is gathering the various Confederate forces in western Tennessee (including those from Columbus) into a single army near Corinth.
More Information:
- Link: War Operation, see Volume VII, Chapter 17, pp. 679-684
- Link: War Operations, see Volume X, Chapter 22, Part II, Correspondence, pp. 3-15
- The Civil War Day by Day, John S. Bowman, Ed. pp.60-61
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