capture　of　Atlanta。　　The　marches；　battles；　sieges；　and　other　military　operations；　that　have　signalized　the　campaign；　must　render　it　famous　in　the　annals　of　war；　and　have　entitled　those　who　have　participated　therein　to　the　applause　and　thanks　of　the　nation。
  ABRAHAM　LINCOLN　President　of　the　United　States
  CITY　POINT　VIRGINIA；　September　4；　1864…9　P。M。
  Major…General　SHERMAN：　I　have　just　received　your　dispatch　announcing　the　capture　of　Atlanta。　　In　honor　of　your　great　victory；　I　have　ordered　a　salute　to　be　fired　with　shotted　guns　from　every　battery　bearing　upon　the　enemy。　　The　salute　will　be　fired　within　an　hour；　amid　great　rejoicing。
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  These　dispatches　were　communicated　to　the　army　in　general　orders；　and　we　all　felt　duly　encouraged　and　elated　by　the　praise　of　those　competent　to　bestow　it。
  The　army　still　remained　where　the　news　of　success　had　first　found　us；　viz。；　Lovejoy's；　but；　after　due　refection；　I　resolved　not　to　attempt　at　that　time　a　further　pursuit　of　Hood's　army；　but　slowly　and　deliberately　to　move　back；　occupy　Atlanta；　enjoy　a　short　period　of　rest；　and　to　think　well　over　the　neat　step　required　in　the　progress　of　events。　　Orders　for　this　movement　were　made　on　the　5th　September；　and　three　days　were　given　for　each　army　to　reach　the　place　assigned　it；　viz。：　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　in　and　about　Atlanta；　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　at　East　Point；　and　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　at　Decatur。
  Personally　I　rode　back　to　Jonesboro　on　the　6th；　and　there　inspected　the　rebel　hospital；　full　of　wounded　officers　and　men　left　by　Hardee　in　his　retreat。　　The　next　night　we　stopped　at　Rough　and　Ready；　and　on　the　8th　of　September　we　rode　into　Atlanta；　then　occupied　by　the　Twentieth　Corps　（General　Slocum）。　　In　the　Court…House　Square　was　encamped　a　brigade；　embracing　the　Massachusetts　Second　and　Thirty…　third　Regiments；　which　had　two　of　the　finest　bands　of　the　army；　and　their　music　was　to　us　all　a　source　of　infinite　pleasure　during　our　sojourn　in　that　city。　　I　took　up　my　headquarters　in　the　house　of　Judge　Lyons；　which　stood　opposite　one　corner　of　the　Court…House　Square；　and　at　once　set　about　a　measure　already　ordered；　of　which　I　had　thought　much　and　long；　viz。；　to　remove　the　entire　civil　population；　and　to　deny　to　all　civilians　from　the　rear　the　expected　profits　of　civil　trade。　　Hundreds　of　sutlers　and　traders　were　waiting　at　Nashville　and　Chattanooga；　greedy　to　reach　Atlanta　with　their　wares　and　goods；　with；　which　to　drive　a　profitable　trade　with　the　inhabitants。　　I　gave　positive　orders　that　none　of　these　traders；　except　three　（one　for　each　separate　army）；　should　be　permitted　to　come　nearer　than　Chattanooga；　and；　moreover；　I　peremptorily　required　that　all　the　citizens　and　families　resident　in　Atlanta　should　go　away；　giving　to　each　the　option　to　go　south　or　north；　as　their　interests　or　feelings　dictated。　　I　was　resolved　to　make　Atlanta　a　pure　military　garrison　or　depot；　with　no　civil　population　to　influence　military　measures。　　I　had　seen　Memphis；　Vicksburg；　Natchez；　and　New　Orleans；　all　captured　from　the　enemy；　and　each　at　once　was　garrisoned　by　a　full　division　of　troops；　if　not　more；　so　that　success　was　actually　crippling　our　armies　in　the　field　by　detachments　to　guard　and　protect　the　interests　of　a　hostile　population。
  I　gave　notice　of　this　purpose；　as　early　as　the　4th　of　September；　to　General　Halleck；　in　a　letter　concluding　with　these　words：
  If　the　people　raise　a　howl　against　my　barbarity　and　cruelty；　I　will　answer　that　war　is　war；　and　not　popularity…seeking。　　If　they　want　peace；　they　and　their　relatives　most　stop　the　war。
  I　knew；　of　course；　that　such　a　measure　would　be　strongly　criticised；　but　made　up　my　mind　to　do　it　with　the　absolute　certainty　of　its　justness；　and　that　time　would　sanction　its　wisdom。　I　knew　that　the　people　of　the　South　would　read　in　this　measure　two　important　conclusions：　one；　that　we　were　in　earnest；　and　the　other；　if　they　were　sincere　in　their　common　and　popular　clamor　〃to　die　in　the　last　ditch；〃　that　the　opportunity　would　soon　come。
  Soon　after　our　reaching　Atlanta；　General　Hood　had　sent　in　by　a　flag　of　truce　a　proposition；　offering　a　general　exchange　of　prisoners；　saying　that　he　was　authorized　to　make　such　an　exchange　by　the　Richmond　authorities；　out　of　the　vast　number　of　our　men　then　held　captive　at　Andersonville；　the　same　whom　General　Stoneman　had　hoped　to　rescue　at　the　time　of　his　raid。　　Some　of　these　prisoners　had　already　escaped　and　got　in；　had　described　the　pitiable　condition　of　the　remainder；　and；　although　I　felt　a　sympathy　for　their　hardships　and　sufferings　as　deeply　as　any　man　could；　yet　as　nearly　all　the　prisoners　who　had　been　captured　by　us　during　the　campaign　had　been　sent；　as　fast　as　taken；　to　the　usual　depots　North；　they　were　then　beyond　my　control。　　There　were　still　about　two　thousand；　mostly　captured　at　Jonesboro；　who　had　been　sent　back　by　cars；　but　had　not　passed　Chattanooga。　　These　I　ordered　back；　and　offered　General　Hood　to　exchange　them　for　Stoneman；　Buell；　and　such　of　my　own　army　as　would　make　up　the　equivalent；　but　I　would　not　exchange　for　his　prisoners　generally；　because　I　knew　these　would　have　to　be　sent　to　their　own　regiments；　away　from　my　army；　whereas　all　we　could　give　him　could　at　once　be　put　to　duty　in　his　immediate　army。　　Quite　an　angry　correspondence　grew　up　between　us；　which　was　published　at　the　time　in　the　newspapers；　but　it　is　not　to　be　found　in　any　book　of　which　I　have　present　knowledge；　and　therefore　is　given　here；　as　illustrative　of　the　events　referred　to；　and　of　the　feelings　of　the　actors　in　the　game　of　war　at　that　particular　crisis；　together　with　certain　other　original　letters　of　Generals　Grant　and　Halleck；　never　hitherto　published。
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　September　12；　1864
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi
  GENERAL：　I　send　Lieutenant…Colonel　Horace　Porter；　of　my　staff；　with　this。　　Colonel　Porter　will　explain　to　you　the　exact　condition　of　affairs　here；　better　than　I　can　do　in　the　limits　of　a　letter。　Although　I　feel　myself　strong　enough　now　for　offensive　operations；　I　am　holding　on　quietly；　to　get　advantage　of　recruits　and　convalescents；　who　are　coming　forward　very　rapidly。　　My　lines　are　necessarily　very　long；　extending　from　Deep　Bottom；　north　of　the　James；　across　the　peninsula　formed　by　the　Appomattox　and　the　James；　and　south　of　the　Appomattox　to　the　Weldon　road。　　This　line　is　very　strongly　fortified；　and　can　be　held　with　comparatively　few　men；　but；　from　its　great　length；　necessarily　takes　many　in　the　aggregate。　　I　propose；　when　I　do　move；　to　extend　my　left　so　as　to　control　what　is　known　as　the　Southside；　or　Lynchburg　&　Petersburg　road；　then；　if　possible；　to　keep　the　Danville　road　out。　　At　the　same　time　this　move　is　made；　I　want　to　send　a　force　of　from　six　to　ten　thousand　men　against　Wilmington。　　The　way　I　propose　to　do　this　is　to　land　the　men　north　of　Fort　Fisher；　and　hold　that　point。　　At　the　same　time　a　large　naval　fleet　will　be　assembled　there；　and　the　iron…clads　will　run　the　batteries　as　they　did　at　Mobile。　　This　will　give　us　the　same　control　of　the　harbor　of　Wilmington　that　we　now　have　of　the　harbor　of　Mobile。　　What　you　are　to　do　with　the　forces　at　your　command；　I　do　not　exactly　see。　　The　difficulties　of　supplying　your　army；　except　when　they　are　constantly　moving　beyond　where　you　are；　I　plainly　see。　　If　it　had　not　been　for　Price's　movement；　Canby　could　have　sent　twelve　thousand　more　men　to　Mobile。　》From　your　command　on　the　Mississippi；　an　equal　number　could　have　been　taken。　　With　these　forces；　my　idea　world　have　been　to　divide　them；　sending　one…half　to　Mobile；　and　the　other　half　to　Savannah。　You　could　then　move　as　proposed　in　your　telegram；　so　as　to　threaten　Macon　and　Augusta　equally。　　Whichever　one　should　be　abandoned　by　the　enemy；　you　could　take　and　open　up　anew　base　of　supplies。　　My　object　now　in　sending　a　staff…officer　to　you　is　not　so　much　to　suggest　operations　for　you　as　to　get　your　views；　and　to　have　plans　matured　by　the　time　every　thing　can　be　got　ready。　　It　would　probably　be　the　5th　of　October　before　any　of　the　plans　here　indicated　will　be　executed。　　If　you　have　any　promotions　to　recommend；　send　the　names　forward；　and　I　will　approve　them。
  In　conclusion；　it　is　hardly　necessary　for　me　to　say　that　I　feel　you　have　accomplished　the　most　gigantic　undertaking　given　to　any　general　in　this　war；　and　with　a　skill　and　ability　that　will　be　acknowledged　in　history　as　unsurpassed；　if　not　unequaled。　　It　gives　me　as　much　pleasure　to　record　this　in　your　favor　as　it　world　in　favor　of　any　living　man；　myself　included。　Truly　yours；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　20；　1864。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Commander…in…Chief；　City　Point；　Virgina
  GENERAL：　I　have　the　honor　to　acknowledge；　at　the　hands　of　Lieutenant　　Colonel　Porter；　of　your　staff；　your　letter　of　September　12th；　and　accept　with　with　thanks　the　honorable　and　kindly　mention　of　the　services　of　this　army　in　the　great　cause　in　which　we　are　all　engaged。
  I　send　by　Colonel　Porter　all　official　reports　which　are　completed；　and　will　in　a　few　days　submit　a　list　of　names　which　are　deemed　worth