CHAPTER XIV.
UP THE TENNESSEE AND AT PITTSBURG LANDING.
At St.Louis .-- Progress of our Arms in the Great Valley .-- Cairo .-- Its Peculiarities and Attractions .-- Its Commercial, Geographical, and Sanitary Advantages .-- Up the Tennessee .-- Movements Preliminary to the Great Battle .-- The Rebels and their Plans .-- Postponement of the Attack .-- Disadvantages of our Position .-- The Beginning of the Battle .-- Results of the First Day .-- Re-enforcements .-- Disputes between Officers of our two Armies .-- Beauregard's Watering-Place.
On reaching St.Louis, three weeks after the battle of Pea Ridge, I found that public attention was centered upon the Tennessee River.
Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Columbus, and Nashville had fallen, and our armies were pushing forward toward the Gulf, by the line of the Tennessee.

General Pope was laying siege to Island Number Ten, having already occupied New Madrid, and placed his gun-boats in front of that point.

General Grant's army was at Pittsburg Landing, and General Buell's army was moving from Nashville toward Savannah, Tennessee.
The two armies were to be united at Pittsburg Landing, for a further advance into the Southern States.

General Beauregard was at Corinth, where he had been joined by Price and Van Dorn from Arkansas, and by Albert Sidney Johnston from Kentucky.

There was a promise of active hostilities in that quarter.