GENERAL：　The　thirty　days　for　which　I　loaned　you　the　command　of　General　A。　J。　Smith　will　expire　on　the　10th　instant。　　I　send　with　this　Brigadier…General　J。　M。　Corse；　to　carry　orders　to　General　A。　J。　Smith；　and　to　give　directions　for　a　new　movement；　which　is　preliminary　to　the　general　campaign。　　General　Corse　may　see　you　and　explain　in　full；　but；　lest　he　should　not　find　you　in　person；　I　will　simply　state　that　Forrest；　availing　himself　of　the　absence　of　our　furloughed　men　and　of　the　detachment　with　yon；　has　pushed　up　between　the　Mississippi　and　Tennessee　Rivers；　even　to　the　Ohio。　　He　attacked　Paducah；　but　got　the　worst　of　it；　and　he　still　lingers　about　the　place。　　I　hope　that　he　will　remain　thereabouts　till　General　A。　J。　Smith　can　reach　his　destined　point；　but　this　I　can　hardly　expect；　yet　I　want　him　to　reach　by　the　Yazoo　a　position　near　Grenada；　thence　to　operate　against　Forrest；　after　which　to　march　across　to　Decatur；　Alabama。　　You　will　see　that　he　has　a　big　job；　and　therefore　should　start　at　once。　　From　all　that　I　can　learn；　my　troops　reached　Alexandria；　Louisiana；　at　the　time　agreed　on；　viz。；　March　17th；　and　I　hear　of　them　at　Natchitoches；　but　cannot　hear　of　your　troops　being　above　Opelousas。
  Steele　is　also　moving。　　I　leave　Steele's　entire　force　to　cooperate　with　you　and　the　navy；　but；　as　I　before　stated；　I　must　have　A。　T。　Smith's　troops　now　as　soon　as　possible。
  I　beg　you　will　expedite　their　return　to　Vicksburg；　if　they　have　not　already　started；　and　I　want　them　if　possible　to　remain　in　the　same　boats　they　have　used　up　Red　River；　as　it　will　save　the　time　otherwise　consumed　in　transfer　to　other　boats。
  All　is　well　in　this　quarter；　and　I　hope　by　the　time　you　turn　against　Mobile　our　forces　will　again　act　toward　the　same　end；　though　from　distant　points。　　General　Grant；　now　having　lawful　control；　will　doubtless　see　that　all　minor　objects　are　disregarded；　and　that　all　the　armies　act　on　a　common　plan。
  Hoping；　when　this　reaches　you；　that　you　will　be　in　possession　of　Shreveport；　I　am；　with　great　respect；　etc。；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  Rumors　were　reaching　us　thick　and　fast　of　defeat　and　disaster　in　that　quarter；　and　I　feared　then；　what　afterward　actually　happened；　that　neither　General　Banks　nor　Admiral　Porter　could　or　would　spare　those　two　divisions。　　On　the　23d　of　April；　General　Corse　returned；　bringing　full　answers　to　my　letters；　and　I　saw　that　we　must　go　on　without　them。　　This　was　a　serious　loss　to　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　which　was　also　short　by　two　other　divisions　that　were　on　their　veteran　furlough；　and　were　under　orders　to　rendezvous　at　Cairo；　before　embarking　for　Clifton；　on　the　Tennessee　River。
  On　the　10th　of　April；　1864；　the　headquarters　of　the　three　Armies　of　the　Cumberland；　Tennessee；　and　Ohio；　were　at　Chattanooga。；　Huntsville；　and　Knoxville；　and　the　tables　on　page　16；　et　seq。；　give　their　exact　condition　and　strength。
  The　Department　of　the　Arkansas　was　then　subject　to　my　command；　but　General　Fred　Steele；　its　commander；　was　at　Little　Rock；　remote　from　me；　acting　in　cooperation　with　General　Banks；　and　had　full　employment　for　every　soldier　of　his　command；　so　that　I　never　depended　on　him　for　any　men；　or　for　any　participation　in　the　Georgia　campaign。　　Soon　after；　viz。；　May　8th；　that　department　was　transferred　to　the　Military　Division　of　〃the　Gulf；〃　or　〃Southwest；〃　Major…General　E。　　R。　S。　Canby　commanding；　and　General　Steele　served　with　him　in　the　subsequent　movement　against　Mobile。
  In　Generals　Thomas；　McPherson；　and　Schofield；　I　had　three　generals　of　education　and　experience；　admirably　qualified　for　the　work　before　us。　　Each　has　made　a　history　of　his　own；　and　I　need　not　here　dwell　on　their　respective　merits　as　men；　or　as　commanders　of　armies；　except　that　each　possessed　special　qualities　of　mind　and　of　character　which　fitted　them　in　the　highest　degree　for　the　work　then　in　contemplation。
  By　the　returns　of　April　10；　1864；　it　will　be　seen　that　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　had　on　its　muster…rolls　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Men。　Present　and　absent。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。171；450　Present　for　duty。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　88；883
  The　Army　of　the　Tennessee　Present　and　absent。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。134；763　Present　for　duty。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　64；957
  The　Army　of　the　Ohio　Present　and　absent　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　46；052　Present　for　duty　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　26；242
  The　department　and　army　commanders　had　to　maintain　strong　garrisons　in　their　respective　departments；　and　also　to　guard　their　respective　lines　of　supply。　　I　therefore；　in　my　mind；　aimed　to　prepare　out　of　these　three　armies；　by　the　1st　of　May；　1864；　a　compact　army　for　active　operations　in　Georgia；　of　about　the　following　numbers：
  Army　of　the　Cumberland。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　50；000　Army　of　the　Tennessee。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　35；000　Army　of　the　Ohio　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　15；000
  Total　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　100；000
  and；　to　make　these　troops　as　mobile　as　possible；　I　made　the　strictest　possible　orders　in　relation　to　wagons　and　all　species　of　incumbrances　and　impedimenta　whatever。　　Each　officer　and　soldier　was　required　to　carry　on　his　horse　or　person　food　and　clothing　enough　for　five　days。　　To　each　regiment　was　allowed　but　one　wagon　and　one　ambulance；　and　to　the　officers　of　each　company　one　pack　horse　or　mule。
  Each　division　and　brigade　was　provided　a　fair　proportion　of　wagons　for　a　supply　train；　and　these　were　limited　in　their　loads　to　carry　food；　ammunition；　and　clothing。　　Tents　were　forbidden　to　all　save　the　sick　and　wounded；　and　one　tent　only　was　allowed　to　each　headquarters　for　use　as　an　office。　　These　orders　were　not　absolutely　enforced；　though　in　person　I　set　the　example；　and　did　not　have　a　tent；　nor　did　any　officer　about　me　have　one；　but　we　had　wall　tent…flies；　without　poles；　and　no　tent…furniture　of　any　kind。　We　usually　spread　our　flies　over　saplings；　or　on　fence…rails　or　posts　improvised　on　the　spot。　　Most　of　the　general　officers；　except　Thomas；　followed　my　example　strictly；　but　he　had　a　regular　headquarters…camp。　　I　frequently　called　his　attention　to　the　orders　on　this　subject；　rather　jestingly　than　seriously。　　He　would　break　out　against　his　officers　for　having　such　luxuries；　but；　needing　a　tent　himself；　and　being　good…natured　and　slow　to　act；　he　never　enforced　my　orders　perfectly。　　In　addition　to　his　regular　wagon…train；　he　had　a　big　wagon　which　could　be　converted　into　an　office；　and　this　we　used　to　call　〃Thomas's　circus。〃　Several　times　during　the　campaign　I　found　quartermasters　hid　away　in　some　comfortable　nook　to　the　rear；　with　tents　and　mess…fixtures　which　were　the　envy　of　the　passing　soldiers；　and　I　frequently　broke　them　up；　and　distributed　the　tents　to　the　surgeons　of　brigades。　　Yet　my　orders　actually　reduced　the　transportation；　so　that　I　doubt　if　any　army　ever　went　forth　to　battle　with　fewer　impedimenta；　and　where　the　regular　and　necessary　supplies　of　food；　ammunition；　and　clothing；　were　issued；　as　called　for；　so　regularly　and　so　well。
  My　personal　staff　was　then　composed　of　Captain　J。　C。　McCoy；　aide…de…camp；　Captain　L。　M。　Dayton；　aide…de…camp；　Captain　J。　C。　Audenried；　aide…de…camp；　Brigadier…General　J。　D。　Webster；　chief　of　staff；　Major　R。　M。　Sawyer；　assistant　adjutant…general；　Captain　Montgomery　Rochester；　assistant　adjutant…general。　　These　last　three　were　left　at　Nashville　in　charge　of　the　office；　and　were　empowered　to　give　orders　in　my　name；　communication　being　generally　kept　up　by　telegraph。
  Subsequently　were　added　to　my　staff；　and　accompanied　me　in　the　field；　Brigadier…General　W。　F。　Barry；　chief　of　artillery；　Colonel　O。　M。　Poe；　chief　of　engineers；　Colonel　L。　C。　Easton；　chief　quartermaster；　Colonel　Amos　Beckwith；　chief　commissary；　Captain　Thos。　G。　Baylor；　chief　of　ordnance；　Surgeon　E。　D。　　Kittoe；　medical　director；　Brigadier…General　J。　M。　Corse；　inspector…general；　Lieutenant…Colonel　C。　Ewing；　inspector…general；　and　Lieutenant…　Colonel　Willard　Warner；　inspector…general。
  These　officers　constituted　my　staff　proper　at　the　beginning　of　the　campaign；　which　remained　substantially　the　same　till　the　close　of　the　war；　with　very　few　exceptions；　viz。：　Surgeon　John　Moore；　United　States　Army；　relieved　Surgeon　Kittoe　of　the　volunteers　（about　Atlanta）　as　medical　director；　Major　Henry　Hitchcock　joined　as　judge…advocate；　and　Captain　G。　Ward　Nichols　reported　as　an　extra　aide…de…camp　（after　the　fall　of　Atlanta）　at　Gaylesville；　just　before　we　started　for　Savannah。
  During　the　whole　month　of　April　the　preparations　for　active　war　were　going　on　with　extreme　vigor；　and　my　letter…book　shows　an　active　correspondence　with　Generals　Grant；　Halleck；　Thomas；　McPherson；　and　Schofield　on　thousands　of　matters　of　detail　and　arrangement；　most　of　which　are　embraced　in　my　testimony　before　the　Committee　on　the　Conduct　of　the　War；　vol。　i。；　Appendix。
  When　the　time　for　action　approached；　viz。；　May　1；1864；　the　actual　armies　prepared　to　move　into　Georgia　resulted　as　follows；　present　for　battle：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Men。　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　Major…General　THOMAS。　Infantry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　54；568　Artillery　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　2；377　Cavalry。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　3；828　　　　　　　　　Aggregate。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　60；773　Number　of　field…guns；　130。
  Army　of　the　Tennessee；　Major…General　McPHERSON。
  Infantry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。