"Can I see your chief, General Floyd ?" The lips of Buckner pressed close together in a smile touched with irony.
"No, you cannot see General Floyd," he said, "because he is now far up the Cumberland." "Since he has abdicated the command I wish then to communicate with General Pillow." "I regret that you cannot speak to him either.

He is as far up the Cumberland as General Floyd.

Both departed in the night, and I am left in command of the Southern army at Fort Donelson.

You can state your demands to me, Colonel Winchester." Dick saw that the brave Kentuckian was struggling to hide his chagrin, and he had much sympathy for him.

It was in truth a hard task that Floyd and Pillow had left for Buckner.