This line ran generally along the crest of high ground, but in one place crossed a ravine which opens into the river between the village and the fort.  The ground inside and outside of this intrenched line was very broken and generally wooded.  The trees outside of the rifle-pits had been cut down for a considerable way out, and had been felled so that their tops lay outwards from the intrenchments.  The limbs had been trimmed and pointed, and thus formed an abatis in front of the greater part of the line.  Outside of this intrenched line, and extending about half the entire length of it, is a ravine running north and south and opening into Hickman creek at a point north of the fort.  The entire side of this ravine next to the works was one long abatis.

General Halleck commenced his efforts in all quarters to get reinforcements to forward to me immediately on my departure from Cairo.  General Hunter sent men freely from Kansas, and a large division under General Nelson, from Buell’s army, was also dispatched.  Orders went out from the War Department to consolidate fragments of companies that were being recruited in the Western States so as to make full companies, and to consolidate companies into regiments.  General Halleck did not approve or disapprove of my going to Fort Donelson.  He said nothing whatever to me on the subject.  He informed Buell on the 7th that I would march against Fort Donelson the next day; but on the 10th he directed me to fortify Fort Henry strongly, particularly to the land side, saying that he forwarded me intrenching tools for that purpose.  I received this dispatch in front of Fort Donelson.

I was very impatient to get to Fort Donelson because I knew the importance of the place to the enemy and supposed he would reinforce it rapidly.  I felt that 15,000 men on the 8th would be more effective than 50,000 a month later.  I asked Flag-officer Foote, therefore, to order his gunboats still about Cairo to proceed up the Cumberland River and not to wait for those gone to Eastport and Florence; but the others got back in time and we started on the 12th.  I had moved McClernand out a few miles the night before so as to leave the road as free as possible.

Just as we were about to start the first reinforcement reached me on transports.  It was a brigade composed of six full regiments commanded by Colonel Thayer, of Nebraska.  As the gunboats were going around to Donelson by the Tennessee, Ohio and Cumberland rivers, I directed Thayer to turn about and go under their convoy.

I started from Fort Henry with 15,000 men, including eight batteries and part of a regiment of cavalry, and, meeting with no obstruction to detain us, the advance arrived in front of the enemy by noon.  That afternoon and the next day were spent in taking up ground to make the investment as complete as possible.  General Smith had been directed to leave a portion of his division behind to guard forts Henry and Heiman.