Government as an independent power. Dread of internal distress
was increasing. Gold commanded a premium of fifty percent.
Disorder was a feature of the life in the cities. It was known
that several recent military events had been victories for the
Federals. A rumor was abroad that some great disaster had taken
place in Tennessee. The crowd listened anxiously to hear the
rumor denied by the President. But it was not denied. The tense
listeners noted two sentences which formed an admission that the
situation was grave: "A million men, it is estimated, are now
standing in hostile array and waging war along a frontier of
thousands of miles. Battles have been fought, sieges have been
conducted, and although the contest is not ended, and the tide
for the moment is against us, the final result in our favor is
not doubtful."

Behind these carefully guarded words lay serious alarm, not only
with regard to the operations at the front but as to the
composition of the army. It had been raised under various laws
and its portions were subject to conflicting classifications; it
was partly a group of state armies, partly a single Confederate
army. None of its members had enlisted for long terms. Many
enlistments would expire early in 1862. The fears of the
Confederate Administration with regard to this matter, together
with its alarm about the events at the front, were expressed by
Davis in a frank message to the Southern Congress, three days
later. "I have hoped," said he, "for several days to receive
official reports in relation to our discomfiture at Roanoke
Island and the fall of Fort Donelson. They have not yet reached
Me.... The hope is still entertained that our reported losses
at Fort Donelson have been greatly exaggerated...." He went