I was next in rank, and he telegraphed me the same day to report at department headquarters at Corinth.

I was not informed by the dispatch that my chief had been ordered to a different field and did not know whether to move my headquarters or not.

I telegraphed asking if I was to take my staff with me, and received word in reply: "This place will be your headquarters.

You can judge for yourself." I left Memphis for my new field without delay, and reached Corinth on the 15th of the month.
General Halleck remained until the 17th of July; but he was very uncommunicative, and gave me no information as to what I had been called to Corinth for.
When General Halleck left to assume the duties of general-in-chief I remained in command of the district of West Tennessee.

Practically I became a department commander, because no one was assigned to that position over me and I made my reports direct to the general-in-chief; but I was not assigned to the position of department commander until the 25th of October.