Army　of　the　Tennessee；　Major…General　McPHERSON。
  Infantry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　22；437　Artillery　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　1；404　Cavalry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　　624　　　　　　　　　　Aggregate　。。。。。。。。。。。。。　24；465　Guns；　96
  Army　of　the　Ohio；　Major…General　SCHOFIELD。
  Infantry　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　11；183　Artillery。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　　679　Cavalry。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　1；697　　　　　　　　　Aggregate　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　13；559　Guns；　28。
  Grand　aggregate；　98；797　men　and　254　guns
  These　figures　do　not　embrace　the　cavalry　divisions　which　were　still　incomplete；　viz。；　of　General　Stoneman；　at　Lexington；　Kentucky；　and　of　General　Garrard；　at　Columbia；　Tennessee；　who　were　then　rapidly　collecting　horses；　and　joined　us　in　the　early　stage　of　the　campaign。　　General　Stoneman；　having　a　division　of　about　four　thousand　men　and　horses；　was　attached　to　Schofield's　Army　of　the　Ohio。　　General　Garrard's　division；　of　about　four　thousand　five　hundred　men　and　horses；　was　attached　to　General　Thomas's　command；　and　he　had　another　irregular　division　of　cavalry；　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　E。　　McCook。　　There　was　also　a　small　brigade　of　cavalry；　belonging　to　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　attached　temporarily　to　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　which　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　Judson　Kilpatrick。　　These　cavalry　commands　changed　constantly　in　strength　and　numbers；　and　were　generally　used　on　the　extreme　flanks；　or　for　some　special　detached　service；　as　will　be　herein…after　related。　　The　Army　of　the　Tennessee　was　still　short　by　the　two　divisions　detached　with　General　Banks；　up　Red　River；　and　two　other　divisions　on　furlough　in　Illinois；　Indiana；　and　Ohio；　but　which　were　rendezvousing　at　Cairo；　under　Generals　Leggett　and　Crocker；　to　form　a　part　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　which　corps　was　to　be　commanded　by　Major…General　Frank　P。　Blair；　then　a　member　of　Congress；　in　Washington。　　On　the　2d　of　April　I　notified　him　by　letter　that　I　wanted　him　to　join　and　to　command　these　two　divisions；　which　ought　to　be　ready　by　the　1st　of　May。　　General　Blair；　with　these　two　divisions；　constituting　the　Seventeenth　Army　Corps；　did　not　actually　overtake　us　until　vie　reached　Acworth　and　Big　Shanty；　in　Georgia；　about　the　9th　of　June；　1864。
  In　my　letter　of　April　4th　to　General　John　A。　Rawains；　chief　of　staff　to　General　Grant　at　Washington；　I　described　at　length　all　the　preparations　that　were　in　progress　for　the　active　campaign　thus　contemplated；　and　therein　estimated　Schofield　at　twelve　thousand；　Thomas　at　forty…five　thousand；　and　MePherson　at　thirty　thousand。　At　first　I　intended　to　open　the　campaign　about　May　1st；　by　moving　Schofield　on　Dalton　from　Cleveland；　Thomas　on　the　same　objective　from　Chattanooga；　and　McPherson　on　Rome　and　Kingston　from　Gunter's　Landing。　　My　intention　was　merely　to　threaten　Dalton　in　front；　and　to　direct　McPherson　to　act　vigorously　against　the　railroad　below　Resaca；　far　to　the　rear　of　the　enemy。　　But　by　reason　of　his　being　short　of　his　estimated　strength　by　the　four　divisions　before　referred　to；　and　thus　being　reduced　to　about　twenty…four　thousand　men；　I　did　not　feel　justified　in　placing　him　so　far　away　from　the　support　of　the　main　body　of　the　army；　and　therefore　subsequently　changed　the　plan　of　campaign；　so　far　as　to　bring　that　army　up　to　Chattanooga；　and　to　direct　it　thence　through　Ship's　Gap　against　the　railroad　to　Johnston's　rear；　at　or　near　Resaca；　distant　from　Dalton　only　eighteen　miles；　and　in　full　communication　with　the　other　armies　by　roads　behind　Rocky　face　Ridge；　of　about　the　same　length。
  On　the　10th　of　April　I　received　General　Grant's　letter　of　April　4th　from　Washington；　which　formed　the　basis　of　all　the　campaigns　of　the　year　1864；　and　subsequently　received　another　of　April　19th；　written　from　Culpepper；　Virginia；　both　of　which　are　now　in　my　possession；　in　his　own　handwriting；　and　are　here　given　entire。　　These　letters　embrace　substantially　all　the　orders　he　ever　made　on　this　particular　subject；　and　these；　it　will　be　seen；　devolved　on　me　the　details　both　as　to　the　plan　and　execution　of　the　campaign　by　the　armies　under　my　immediate　command。　　These　armies　were　to　be　directed　against　the　rebel　army　commanded　by　General　Joseph　E。　Johnston；　then　lying　on　the　defensive；　strongly　intrenched　at　Dalton；　Georgia；　and　I　was　required　to　follow　it　up　closely　and　persistently；　so　that　in　no　event　could　any　part　be　detached　to　assist　General　Lee　in　Virginia；　General　Grant　undertaking　in　like　manner　to　keep　Lee　so　busy　that　he　could　not　respond　to　any　calls　of　help　by　Johnston。　　Neither　Atlanta；　nor　Augusta；　nor　Savannah；　was　the　objective；　but　the　〃army　of　Jos。　Johnston；〃　go　where　it　might。
  ＇PRIVATE　AND　CONFIDENTIAL。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　WASHINGTON　D。　C。；　April　4；　1864。
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。
  GENERAL：　It　is　my　design；　if　the　enemy　keep　quiet　and　allow　me　to　take　the　initiative　in　the　spring　campaign；　to　work　all　parts　of　the　army　together；　and　somewhat　toward　a　common　centre。　　For　your　information　I　now　write　you　my　programme；　as　at　present　determined　upon。
  I　have　sent　orders　to　Banks；　by　private　messenger；　to　finish　up　his　present　expedition　against　Shreveport　with　all　dispatch；　to　turn　over　the　defense　of　Red　River　to　General　Steels　and　the　navy；　and　to　return　your　troops　to　you；　and　his　own　to　New　Orleans；　to　abandon　all　of　Texas；　except　the　Rio　Grande；　and　to　hold　that　with　not　to　exceed　four　thousand　men；　to　reduce　the　number　of　troops　on　the　Mississippi　to　the　lowest　number　necessary　to　hold　it；　and　to　collect　from　his　command　not　less　than　twenty…five　thousand　men。　To　this　I　will　add　five　thousand　from　Missouri。　　With　this　force　he　is　to　commence　operations　against　Mobile　as　soon　as　he　can。　　It　will　be　impossible　for　him　to　commence　too　early。
  Gillmore　joins　Butler　with　ten　thousand　men；　and　the　two　operate　against　Richmond　from　the　south　aide　of　James　River。　　This　will　give　Butler　thirty…three　thousand　men　to　operate　with；　W。　F。　Smith　commanding　the　right　wing　of　his　forces；　and　Gillmore　the　left　wing。　　I　will　stay　with　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　increased　by　Burnside's　corps　of　not　less　than　twenty…five　thousand　effective　men；　and　operate　directly　against　Lee's　army；　wherever　it　may　be　found。
  Sigel　collects　all　his　available　force　in　two　columns；　one；　under　Ord　and　Averill；　to　start　from　Beverly；　Virginia；　and　the　other；　under　Crook；　to　start　from　Charleston；　on　the　Kanawha；　to　move　against　the　Virginia　&　Tennessee　Railroad。
  Crook　will　have　all　cavalry；　and　will　endeavor　to　get　in　about　Saltville；　and　move　east　from　there　to　join　Ord。　　His　force　will　be　all　cavalry；　while　Ord　will　have　from　ten　to　twelve　thousand　men　of　all　arms。
  You　I　propose　to　move　against　Johnston's　army；　to　break　it　up；　and　to　get　into　the　interior　of　the　enemy's　country　as　far　as　you　can；　inflicting　all　the　damage　yon　can　against　their　war　resources。
  I　do　not　propose　to　lay　down　for　you　a　plan　of　campaign；　but　simply　to　lay　down　the　work　it　is　desirable　to　have　done；　and　leave　you　free　to　execute　it　in　your　own　way。　　Submit　to　me；　however；　as　early　as　you　can；　your　plan　of　operations。
  As　stated；　Banks　is　ordered　to　commence　operations　as　soon　as　he　can。　Gillmore　is　ordered　to　report　at　Fortress　Monroe　by　the　18th　inst。；　or　as　soon　thereafter　as　practicable。　　Sigel　is　concentrating　now。　　None　will　move　from　their　places　of　rendezvous　until　I　direct；　except　Banks。　　I　want　to　be　ready　to　move　by　the　25th　inst。；　if　possible；　but　all　I　can　now　direct　is　that　you　get　ready　as　soon　as　possible。　　I　know　you　will　have　difficulties　to　encounter　in　getting　through　the　mountains　to　where　supplies　are　abundant；　but　I　believe　you　will　accomplish　it。
  》From　the　expedition　from　the　Department　of　West　Virginia　I　do　not　calculate　on　very　great　results；　but　it　is　the　only　way　I　can　take　troops　from　there。　　With　the　long　line　of　railroad　Sigel　has　to　protect；　he　can　spare　no　troops；　except　to　move　directly　to　his　front。　　In　this　way　he　must　get　through　to　inflict　great　damage　on　the　enemy；　or　the　enemy　must　detach　from　one　of　his　armies　a　large　force　to　prevent　it。　　In　other　words；　if　Sigel　can't　skin　himself；　he　can　hold　a　leg　while　some　one　else　skins。
  I　am；　general；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；　U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　NASHVILLE；　TENNESSEE；　April　10；　1864
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Commander…in…Chief；　Washington；　D。
  DEAR　GENERAL：　Your　two　letters　of　April　4th　are　now　before　me；　and　afford　me　infinite　satisfaction。　　That　we　are　now　all　to　act　on　a　common　plan；　converging　on　a　common　centre；　looks　like　enlightened　war。
  Like　yourself；　you　take　the　biggest　load；　and　from　me　you　shall　have　thorough　and　hearty　cooperation。　　I　will　not　let　side　issues　draw　me　off　from　your　main　plans　in　which　I　am　to　knock　Jos。　Johnston；　and　to　do　as　much　damage　to　the　resources　of　the　enemy　as　possible。　　I　have　heretofore　written　to　General　Rawlins　and　to　Colonel　Comstock　（of　your　staff）　somewhat　of　the　method　in　which　I　propose　to　act。　　I　have　seen　all　my　army；　corps；　and　division　commanders；　and　have　signified　only　to　the　former；　viz。；　Schofield；　Thomas；　and　McPherson；　our　general　plans；　which　I　inferred　from　the　purport