land, and that the entire land force on the two rivers was estimated at 12,000.

Trains arriving from Clarksville. Hope to get all my troops to Clarksville by daylight.

S. B. BUCKNER,

Brigadier-General.

CLARKSVILLE, February 8, 1862.

General A. SIDNEY JOHNSTON:

SIR: I received your order after night of the 6th and succeeded in getting nearly the whole command here by daylight this morning.

A large proportion of the force has been sent forward to Fort Donelson, and the balance intended for that place are going there as fast as they arrive.

I will take every possible means at my command to ascertain the general plan of approach of the enemy; but we may not hope for much information upon that point beyond what can be gathered from general deduction.

If the best information I can gather about these iron-clad boats be true they are nearly invulnerable, and therefore they can probably go wherever sufficient fuel and depth of water can be found, unless met by opposing gunboats.

Unless I am misinformed as to these boats, the enemy will attempt to come up this river and destroy the towns upon its bank and every bridge across it. They can, to be sure, be kept confined tot he rivers, but this will be done at heavy cost and inconvenience with the obstructed transportation we will have.

I have ordered the large supplies of pork and other Government stores at this point to be sent to Nashville and deposited far enough from the the river to be safe.

The defenses here amount to about nothing. I think they have mistaken the location of the work upon the rive hill about 200 yards, whilst the one in the bottom is nearly submerged. I think the works should be strengthened here. This place is capable of being made very strong indeed.

I wish it was convenient to send here at once a good engineer officer and a sufficient supply of entrenching tools.

I wish, if possible, you would come down here, if it were only for a single day. I think in that time you might determine the policy and lines of defense. I will, however, to the best I can and all I can with the means at hand.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN S. FLOYD,

Brigadier-General, C. S. Army.

P. S.-I send you the inclosed copy of a communication from the engineer in charge,* that you may see that state of things in the work on the river hill.

CORINTH, February 8, 1862.

General POLK:

Have just arrived here. News from Iuka since I passed that two gunboats were landing troops at the mouth of Bear Creek. I have

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*Not found.

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55 R R-VOL VII