How movement delays narrowed Johnston's opportunity

Johnston intended to attack on 4 April, before Nelson's division and other Union reinforcements could reach Grant. Units became lost in the woods, traffic congestion built, and heavy rain damaged the roads. The Confederate army needed three days to cover only 23 miles, revealing the practical difficulty of moving a large force through the theatre. Another delay could have allowed Grant and Buell to combine roughly 80,000 troops before the battle.