Actually the focus on Columbus dates back to May, 1861. The state of KY sought to defend it with cannon to prevent its capture (nothing exists to show that these guns were ever sent there) after it declared its neutrality. Gideon Pillow, commander of the TN State Army, wanted to cross the Mississippi River at New Madrid, MO, link up with Missouri Confederates and advance on St. Louis on the west side of the river. The reason was to get the massive numbers of arms at the St. Louis Armory and take the city in general. Pillow then proposed to cross into Illinois and move on Cairo from the north and down the east side of the river.

Grant sent a regiment under Col. Gustavus Waagner to Belmont, MO in August and they stayed there at least a day and probably one more before being recalled. Fremont also knew about the power of the Columbus position and, on August 28th, ordered Grant to go after it. That order is in the OR.

The only mistake Polk makes when he takes Hickman and Columbus is not sending a column to take Paducah and Smithland as well. This would have corked up those rivers as Columbus corked up the Mississippi. KY's neutrality was already being violated by the Federals with great frequency from going into the Ohio River to stop boats (the Ohio was, and is today, owned by KY to within the tide mark of the north bank) as well as incursions into Ballard County. But the great deal-breaker was the establishment in early August of Camp Dick Robinson near Lexington for the training of Union troops from KY as well as TN.

I have seen several sources that state that Polk did have a column heading somewhat towards Paducah that got to at least Mayfield as Grant took Paducah, and there were enough reports from spies, etc. that stated that a column of troops was some 20 miles away for Grant to take that seriously. Polk should have attacked Paducah then and did not. His entire focus until March, 1862, was Columbus and even when Ft. Henry and Donelson fell in February, 1862, Polk did not realize that the Columbus position had been fully turned and was no longer valuable to the Confederates. When he finally did realize that almost all of the heavy artillery was sent to the Island No. 10 area but tons of valuable supplies were still left behind.

Oh how things may well have been different if Grant had gone to Columbus or Paducah before Polk made his move. But then again, the state seemed to fully tolerate the establishment of Camp Dick Robinson. Gov. Magoffin did not and complained to Lincoln and Gen. William "Bull" Nelson but both men shrugged it off.

I hope that some sort of Tilghman papers exist that might shed light on where he was on September 6th-9th, 1861.

Greg Biggs