d　translated　into　cipher。
  I　propose　to　study　the　crossings　of　the　Chattahoochee；　and；　when　all　is　ready；　to　move　quickly。　　As　a　beginning；　I　will　keep　the　troops　and　wagons　well　back　from　the　river；　and　only　display　to　the　enemy　our　picket…line；　with　a　few　field…batteries　along　at　random。　I　have　already　shifted　Schofield　to　a　point　in　our　left　rear；　whence　he　can　in　a　single　move　reach　the　Chattahoochee　at　a　point　above　the　railroad…bridge；　where　there　is　a　ford。　　At　present　the　waters　are　turbid　and　swollen　from　recent　rains；　but　if　the　present　hot　weather　lasts；　the　water　will　run　down　very　faSt。　We　have　pontoons　enough　for　four　bridges；　but；　as　our　crossing　will　be　resisted；　we　must　manoeuvre　some。　　All　the　regular　crossing…places　are　covered　by　forts；　apparently　of　long　construction；　but　we　shall　cross　in　due　time；　and；　instead　of　attacking　Atlanta　direct；　or　any　of　its　forts；　I　propose　to　make　a　circuit；　destroying　all　its　railroads。　　This　is　a　delicate　movement；　and　must　be　done　with　caution。　　Our　army　is　in　good　condition　and　full　of　confidence；　but　the　weather　is　intensely　hot；　and　a　good　many　men　have　fallen　with　sunstroke。　　The　country　is　high　and　healthy；　and　the　sanitary　condition　of　the　army　is　good。
  At　this　time　Stoneman　was　very　active　on　our　extreme　right；　pretending　to　be　searching　the　river　below　Turner's　Ferry　for　a　crossing；　and　was　watched　closely　by　the　enemy's　cavalry　on　the　other　side；　McPherson；　on　the　right；　was　equally　demonstrative　at　and　near　Turner's　Ferry。　　Thomas　faced　substantially　the　intrenched　tete…du…pont；　and　had　his　left　on　the　Chattahoochee　River；　at　Paice's　Ferry。　　Garrard's　cavalry　was　up　at　Roswell；　and　McCook's　small　division　of　cavalry　was　intermediate；　above　Soap's　Creek。　Meantime；　also；　the　railroad…construction　party　was　hard　at　work；　repairing　the　railroad　up　to　our　camp　at　Vining's　Station。
  Of　course；　I　expected　every　possible　resistance　in　crossing　the　Chattahoochee　River；　and　had　made　up　my　mind　to　feign　on　the　right；　but　actually　to　cross　over　by　the　left。　　We　had　already　secured　a　crossing　place　at　Roswell；　but　one　nearer　was　advisable；　General　Schofield　had　examined　the　river　well；　found　a　place　just　below　the　mouth　of　Soap's　Creek　which　he　deemed　advantageous；　and　was　instructed　to　effect　an　early　crossing　there；　and　to　intrench　a　good　position　on　the　other　side；　viz。；　the　east　bank。　　But；　preliminary　thereto；　I　had　ordered　General　Rousseau；　at　Nashville；　to　collect；　out　of　the　scattered　detachments　of　cavalry　in　Tennessee；　a　force　of　a　couple　of　thousand　men；　to　rendezvous　at　Decatur；　Alabama；　thence　to　make　a　rapid　march　for　Opelika；　to　break　up　the　railroad　links　between　Georgia　and　Alabama；　and　then　to　make　junction　with　me　about　Atlanta；　or；　if　forced；　to　go　on　to　Pensacola；　or　even　to　swing　across　to　some　of　our　posts　in　Mississippi。　　General　Rousseau　asked　leave　to　command　this　expedition　himself；　to　which　I　consented；　and　on　the　6th　of　July　he　reported　that　he　was　all　ready　at　Decatur；　and　I　gave　him　orders　to　start。　　He　moved　promptly　on　the　9th；　crossed　the　Coosa　below　the　〃Ten　Islands〃　and　the　Tallapoosa　below　〃Horseshoe　Bend；〃　having　passed　through　Talladega。　　He　struck　the　railroad　west　of　Opelika；　tore　it　up　for　twenty　miles；　then　turned　north　and　came　to　Marietta　on　the　22d　of　July；　whence　he　reported　to　me。　　This　expedition　was　in　the　nature　of　a　raid；　and　must　have　disturbed　the　enemy　somewhat；　but；　as　usual；　the　cavalry　did　not　work　hard；　and　their　destruction　of　the　railroad　was　soon　repaired。　　Rousseau；　when　he　reported　to　me　in　person　before　Atlanta；　on　the　28d　of　July；　stated　his　entire　loss　to　have　been　only　twelve　killed　and　thirty　wounded。　He　brought　in　four　hundred　captured　mules　and　three　hundred　horses；　and　also　told　me　a　good　story。　　He　said　he　was　far　down　in　Alabama；　below　Talladega；　one　hot；　dusty　day；　when　the　blue　clothing　of　his　men　was　gray　with　dust；　he　had　halted　his　column　along　a　road；　and　he　in　person；　with　his　staff；　had　gone　to　the　house　of　a　planter；　who　met　him　kindly　on　the　front…porch。　　He　asked　for　water；　which　was　brought；　and　as　the　party　sat　on　the　porch　in　conversation　he　saw；　in　a　stable…yard　across　the　road；　quite　a　number　of　good　mules。　He　remarked　to　the　planter；　〃My　good　sir；　I　fear　I　must　take　some　of　your　mules。〃　　The　planter　remonstrated；　saying　he　had　already　contributed　liberally　to　the　good　cause；　that　it　was　only　last　week　he　had　given　to　General　Roddy　ten　mules。　　Rousseau　replied；　〃Well；　in　this　war　you　should　be　at　least　neutralthat　is；　you　should　be　as　liberal　to　us　as　to　Roddy〃　（a　rebel　cavalry　general）。　　〃Well；　ain't　you　on　our　side？〃　　〃No；〃　said　Rousseau；　〃I　am　General　Rousseau；　and　all　these　men　you　see　are　Yanks。〃　　〃Great　God！　is　it　possible！　　Are　these　Yanks！　　Who　ever　supposed　they　would　come　away　down　here　in　Alabama？〃　　　Of　course；　Rousseau　took　his　ten　mules。
  Schofield　effected　his　crossing　at　Soap's　Creek　very　handsomely　on　the　9th；　capturing　the　small　guard　that　was　watching　the　crossing。　By　night　he　was　on　the　high　ground　beyond；　strongly　intrenched；　with　two　good　pontoon…bridges　finished；　and　was　prepared；　if　necessary；　for　an　assault　by　the　whole　Confederate　army。　　The　same　day　Garrard's　cavalry　also　crossed　over　at　Roswell；　drove　away　the　cavalry…pickets；　and　held　its　ground　till　relieved　by　Newton's　division　of　Howard's　corps；　which　was　sent　up　temporarily；　till　it　in　turn　was　relieved　by　Dodge's　corps　（Sixteenth）　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　which　was　the　advance　of　the　whole　of　that　army。
  That　night　Johnston　evacuated　his　trenches；　crossed　over　the　Chattahoochee；　burned　the　railroad　bridge　and　his　pontoon　and　trestle　bridges；　and　left　us　in　full　possession　of　the　north　or　west　bank…besides　which；　we　had　already　secured　possession　of　the　two　good　crossings　at　Roswell　and　Soap's　Creek。　　I　have　always　thought　Johnston　neglected　his　opportunity　there；　for　he　had　lain　comparatively　idle　while　we　got　control　of　both　banks　of　the　river　above　him。
  On　the　13th　I　ordered　McPherson；　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　to　move　up　to　Roswell；　to　cross　over；　prepare　good　bridges；　and　to　make　a　strong　tete…du…pont　on　the　farther　side。　　Stoneman　had　been　sent　down　to　Campbellton；　with　orders　to　cross　over　and　to　threaten　the　railroad　below　Atlanta；　if　he　could　do　so　without　too　much　risk；　and　General　Blair；　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　was　to　remain　at　Turner's　Ferry；　demonstrating　as　much　as　possible；　thus　keeping　up　the　feint　below　while　we　were　actually　crossing　above。　　Thomas　was　also　ordered　to　prepare　his　bridges　at　Powers's　and　Paice's　Ferries。　　By　crossing　the　Chattahoochee　above　the　railroad　bridge；　we　were　better　placed　to　　cover　our　railroad　and　depots　than　below；　though　a　movement　across　the　river　below　the　railroad；　to　the　south　of　Atlanta；　might　have　been　more　decisive。　　But　we　were　already　so　far　from　home；　and　would　be　compelled　to　accept　battle　whenever　offered；　with　the　Chattahoochee　to　our　rear；　that　it　became　imperative　for　me　to　take　all　prudential　measures　the　case　admitted　of；　and　I　therefore　determined　to　pass　the　river　above　the　railroad…bridge…McPherson　on　the　left；　Schofield　in　the　　centre；　and　Thomas　on　the　right。　On　the　13th　I　reported　to　General　Halleck　as　follows：
  All　is　well。　　I　have　now　accumulated　stores　at　Allatoona　and　Marietta；　both　fortified　and　garrisoned　points。　　Have　also　three　places　at　which　to　cross　the　Chattahoochee　in　our　possession；　and　only　await　General　Stoneman's　return　from　a　trip　down　the　river；　to　cross　the　army　in　force　and　move　on　Atlanta。
  Stoneman　is　now　out　two　days；　and　had　orders　to　be　back　on　the　fourth　or　fifth　day　at　furthest。
  》From　the　10th　to　the　15th　we　were　all　busy　in　strengthening　the　several　points　for　the　proposed　passage　of　the　Chattahoochee；　in　increasing　the　number　and　capacity　of　the　bridges；　rearranging　the　garrisons　to　our　rear；　and　in　bringing　forward　supplies。　　On　the　15th　General　Stoneman　got　back　to　Powder　Springs；　and　was　ordered　to　replace　General　Blair　at　Turner's　Ferry；　and　Blair；　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　was　ordered　up　to　Roswell　to　join　McPherson。　　On　the　17th　we　began　the　general　movement　against　Atlanta；　Thomas　crossing　the　Chattahoochee　at　Powers's　and　Paice's；　by　pontoon…　bridges；　Schofield　moving　out　toward　Cross　Keys；　and　McPherson　toward　Stone　Mountain。　　We　encountered　but　little　opposition　except　by　cavalry。　　On　the　18th　all　the　armies　moved　on　a　general　right　wheel；　Thomas　to　Buckhead；　forming　line　of　　battle　facing　Peach…Tree　Creek；　Schofield　was　on　his　left；　and　McPherson　well　over　toward　the　railroad　between　Stone　Mountain　and　Decatur；　which　he　reached　at　2　p。m。　　of　that　day；　about　four　miles　from　Stone　Mountain；　and　seven　miles　east　of　Decatur；　and　there　he　turned　toward　Atlanta；　breaking　up　the　railroad　as　he　progressed；　his　advance…guard　reaching　Ecatur　about　night；　where　he　came　into　communication　with　Schofield's　troops；　which　had　also　reached　Decatur。　　About　10　A。M。　of　that　day　（July　18th）；　when　the　armies　were　all　in　motion；　one　of　General　Thomas's　staff…officers　brought　me　a　citizen；　one　of　our　spies；　who　had　just　come　out　of　Atlanta；　and　had　brought　a　newspaper　of　the　same　day；　or　of　the　day　before；　containing　Johnston's　order　relinquishing　the　command　of　the　Confederate　forces　in　Atlant