With rumors flying that Grant's troops were turning into an undisciplined mob in the aftermath of Ft. Donelson that had taken to uncontrolled rapine and pillage of the Tennessee countryside, Halleck dashed off this indignant telegram to McClellan on March 3, 1862.



"I have had no communication with General Grant for more than a week. He has left his command without my authority and went to Nashville. His army seems to be as much demoralized by the victory of Fort Donelson as was that of the Potomac by the defeat at Bull Run. It is hard to censure a successfuly general immediately after a victory but I think he richly deserves it. I can get no returns, no reports, no information of any kind from him. Satisfied with his victory, he sits down and enjoys it without any regard to the future. I am worn out and tired with this neglect and inefficiency. C.F. Smith is almost the only officer equal to the emergency."



McClellan replied that Halleck had his full permission to take necessary steps.



"The future success of our cause demands that proceedings such as Grant's deserve at once to be checked. Generals must observe discipline as well as private soldiers. Do not hesitate to arrest him at once if the good of the service requires it and place C.F. Smith in command. You are at liberty to regard this as a positive order if it will smooth your way. I appreciate the difficulties you have to encounter and will be glad to relieve you from trouble as far as possible."

To show that Halleck had full backing from the top down for anything he might do, the dispatch was co-signed by Secretary Stanton. Halleck wasn't done yet. On March 4, he sent McClellan the following message.



"A rumor has just reached me that since the taking of Fort Donelson General Grant has resumed his former bad habits. If so it will account for his neglect of my oft-repeated orders. I do not deem it advisable to arrest him at present but have placed General Smith in command of the expedition up the Tennessee. I think Smith will restore order and discipline."



On the same day he gave Grant the first warning that he could be in trouble.



"You will place Major General C.F. Smith in command of the expedition and remain yourself at Fort Henry. Why do you not obey my orders to report the strength and positions of your command?"



This dispatch came a mere 16 days after the unconditional surrender of Ft. Donelson.

>>14966906 (OP)

Pemberton was ordered to abandon Vicksburg, he chose not to. 

His officers asked if they could dig in, fortify a perimeter, and make raids on the enemy, he said no. 

He watched as Grant bumbled his away to invest the fort.

Then Pemberton surrendered on the fourth and demanded his men be released and as a condition, Grant accedes, Grant then goes on to throw Chickamauga because the men parolled beat the shit out of his army a month later.

>>14966906 (OP)

so Grant gets the first substantiative Union victory of the war with Ft. Donelson and the catty Halleck, Buell, and McClellan wanted to knife him just then. of course they were resentful that he beat them to that milestone. also all of them would have liked to take their sweet old time with the war and Grant's victory made things start to move a little too fast for their liking. Buell was especially seething as Grant got promoted to major general and thus outranked him.
