The greatest suffering was from want of shelter.

It was midwinter and during the siege we had rain and snow, thawing and freezing alternately.

It would not do to allow camp-fires except far down the hill out of sight of the enemy, and it would not do to allow many of the troops to remain there at the same time.

In the march over from Fort Henry numbers of the men had thrown away their blankets and overcoats.

There was therefore much discomfort and absolute suffering.
During the 12th and 13th, and until the arrival of Wallace and Thayer on the 14th, the National forces, composed of but 15,000 men, without intrenchments, confronted an intrenched army of 21,000, without conflict further than what was brought on by ourselves.