the thing that could have been done, after the fall at fort donnellson shall the army of the ohio coming out of nashville should have gone on to chattanooga. i this i that that was a crucial mistake on the part of the north. grant's army could have been reinforced from john pope's army, the mississippi and basijing island number ten. it fell the day after shiloh on april the 8th. that would have left bul almost unopposed to march directly on to chattanooga. for the south, it was important because the south had to accomplish at shiloh exactly what it failed to accomplish, which is it had to destroy a federal army. they had their best opportunity, grant cooperated by putting his back to a river. they failed to do it. so i would say that this was a great missed opportunity for both the north and the south to shorten the war. >> jim? >>> i want to say first that it is a pleasure and an honor to be here as we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the great campaign and the battle of shiloh. it is good to be on the program with these distinguished gentlemen who have been studying and interpreti