Sherman debarked his troops and started out to accomplish the object of the expedition; but the river was rising so rapidly that the back-water up the small tributaries threatened to cut off the possibility of getting back to the boats, and the expedition had to return without reaching the railroad.

The guns had to be hauled by hand through the water to get back to the boats.
On the 17th of March the army on the Tennessee River consisted of five divisions, commanded respectively by Generals C.F.Smith, McClernand, L.Wallace, Hurlbut and Sherman.

General W.H.L.Wallace was temporarily in command of Smith's division, General Smith, as I have said, being confined to his bed.

Reinforcements were arriving daily and as they came up they were organized, first into brigades, then into a division, and the command given to General Prentiss, who had been ordered to report to me.

General Buell was on his way from Nashville with 40,000 veterans.