Following the Confederate defeat at Fort Donelson, the troops at Nashville found themselves outnumbered and out positioned. Johnston ordered the retreat. While he and Hardee withdrew with their commands, Generals Floyd and Forrest were left to attempt to save the badly needed stores in the city. Floyd had trouble with the city's civilians when it became plain the city was being given up, so fell back himself, but Forrest and his men stayed until the Union troops under Buell actually started arriving in the city before they withdrew south, taking important and irreplaceable machinery with them.