The news of the fall of Fort Donelson caused great delight all over the North.  At the South, particularly in Richmond, the effect was correspondingly depressing.  I was promptly promoted to the grade of Major-General of Volunteers, and confirmed by the Senate.  All three of my division commanders were promoted to the same grade and the colonels who commanded brigades were made brigadier-generals in the volunteer service.  My chief, who was in St. Louis, telegraphed his congratulations to General Hunter in Kansas for the services he had rendered in securing the fall of Fort Donelson by sending reinforcements so rapidly.  To Washington he telegraphed that the victory was due to General C. F. Smith; “promote him,” he said, “and the whole country will applaud.”  On the 19th there was published at St. Louis a formal order thanking Flag-officer Foote and myself, and the forces under our command, for the victories on the Tennessee and the Cumberland.  I received no other recognition whatever from General Halleck.  But General Cullum, his chief of staff, who was at Cairo, wrote me a warm congratulatory letter on his own behalf.  I approved of General Smith’s promotion highly, as I did all the promotions that were made.

My opinion was and still is that immediately after the fall of Fort Donelson the way was opened to the National forces all over the South-west without much resistance.  If one general who would have taken the responsibility had been in command of all the troops west of the Alleghanies, he could have marched to Chattanooga, Corinth, Memphis and Vicksburg with the troops we then had, and as volunteering was going on rapidly over the North there would soon have been force enough at all these centres to operate offensively against any body of the enemy that might be found near them.  Rapid movements and the acquisition of rebellious territory would have promoted volunteering, so that reinforcements could have been had as fast as transportation could have been obtained to carry them to their destination.  On the other hand there were tens of thousands of strong able-bodied young men still at their homes in the South-western States, who had not gone into the Confederate army in February, 1862, and who had no particular desire to go.  If our lines had been extended to protect their homes, many of them never would have gone.  Providence ruled differently.  Time was given the enemy to collect armies and fortify his new positions; and twice afterwards he came near forcing his north-western front up to the Ohio River.

I promptly informed the department commander of our success at Fort Donelson and that the way was open now to Clarksville and Nashville; and that unless I received orders to the contrary I should take Clarksville on the 21st and Nashville about the 1st of March.  Both these places are on the Cumberland River above Fort Donelson.  As I heard nothing from headquarters on the subject, General C. F. Smith was sent to Clarksville