His mind
would register them with instant truth. As he looked now upon this
floating army he felt that the Union cause must win. On land the
Confederates might be invincible or almost so, but the waters of the
rivers and the sea upheld the Union cause.
The fleet steamed on at an even pace. Foote, the commodore who had
daringly reconnoitered Fort Henry from a single gunboat in the Tennessee,
managed everything with alertness and skill. The transports were in the
center of the stream. The armed and armored vessels kept on the flanks.
The river, a vast yellow sheet, sometimes turning gray under the gray,
wintry skies, seemed alone save for themselves. Not a single canoe or
skiff disturbed its surface. Toward evening the flakes of snow came
again, and the bitter wind blew once more from the Illinois prairies.
All the troops who were not under shelter were wrapped in blankets
or overcoats. Dick and the colonel, with the heavy coats over their
uniforms, did not suffer. Instead, they enjoyed the cold, crisp air,
which filled their lungs and seemed to increase their power.
"When shall we reach the Tennessee?" asked Dick.
"You will probably wake up in the morning to find yourself some distance
up that stream."
"I've never seen the Tennessee."
"Though not the equal of the Ohio, it would be called a giant river in
many countries. The whole fleet, if it wanted to do it, could go up
it hundreds of miles.
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