Johnston intended to drive Grant west into the swamps around Snake and Owl creeks, cutting him off from the Tennessee River. The river connected the Union army to supplies, gunboat support, and reinforcements. Nelson's division was nearby across the river, and Lew Wallace's division could come down from the north. Keeping those routes open allowed Grant to recover his fighting strength after the first day's losses. The figures given here put the Union back at about 45,000 available troops the following morning, against an estimated 20,000 to 28,000 Confederates able to fight.
Chapter · 1:27:47-1:30:42
Johnston's plan to cut Grant off from the Tennessee
The Confederate attack sought to drive Grant westward from the Tennessee River before gunboats, supplies, and reinforcements could decide the battle.