Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 3

‘ [155] Missouri, he will drive Price out of the country in time to send A. J. Smith and Mower to Tennessee, before Hood can get far, even if Sherman's movements do not turn him, as I think they will. Canby's forces also will be relieved for operations, wherever they are needed.’

But the troops from Missouri were slow in coming, and on the 26th of October, Grant said to Halleck: ‘An order, with an officer to see it enforced, should go to Missouri, to send from there all the troops not actually after Price and guards for public stores, to General Thomas, telegraphing Thomas to know at what points he wants them.’ The next day he repeated the order: ‘Now that Price is on the retreat, with no probability of his bringing up again, Rosecrans should forward all the troops he can to Thomas. This ought to be done without delay. He has six or eight thousand troops around St. Louis, and within a few hours from it, that can start at once.’

On the 29th, becoming still more anxious, he sent his chief of staff, General Rawlins, as bearer of special orders to Rosecrans. In his instructions to Rawlins he said: ‘.. Now that Price is retreating from Missouri, it is believed that the whole force sent to that state from other departments can be spared at once. . . If it is found that the enemy under Hood or Beauregard have actually attempted an invasion of Tennessee, or those under Forrest are approaching the Ohio river, you will send them directly to Major-General Thomas, to confront and frustrate such a movement. . . General Sherman will be instructed that no force, except that already south of the Tennessee and such as General Canby ’