"By the 5th, if possible, on the 6th anyway," answered the general.
"Make it the 5th, General; don't let anything stop you; hurry! hurry!" and thus saying, Fred walked away.
Nelson looked after him and muttered: "I wonder what's the matter with the boy; he hasn't appeared himself to-day; but it may be he will be all right in the morning. I shall take his advice and hurry, anyway."
The next day Nelson urged on his men with a fury that caused the air to be blue with oaths. And it was well that he did, or Shiloh would have never been reached in time to aid the gallant soldiers of Grant.
Buell saw no need of hurrying. He thought it would be a fine thing to concentrate his whole army at Waynesborough and march into Savannah with flying colors, showing Grant what a grand army he had. He telegraphed General Halleck for permission to do so, and the request was readily granted. In some manner it became known to the Confederate spies that Buell's army was to halt at Waynesborough, and the glad tidings were quickly borne to General Johnston, and when that general marched forth to battle he had no expectation that he would have to meet any of Buell's men.
General Buell hurried forward to stop Nelson at Waynesborough, according to his plan; but to his chagrin he found that Nelson, in his headlong haste, was already beyond Waynesborough, and so the plan of stopping him had to be given up.
When General Nelson's advance was a little beyond Waynesborough, a party engaged in the construction of a telegraph line from Savannah to Nashville was met. A telegram was handed their general, which read:
To the officer commanding Buell's advance:
There is no need of haste; come on by easy stages.
U. S. Grant,
Major-General Commanding.
Nelson read the telegram, and turning to Fred said:
"This is small comfort for all my hurry. I wonder if I have made a fool of myself, after all. Buell will have the joke on me, sure."