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　worthy　of　promotion。
  I　think　we　owe　it　to　the　President　to　save　him　the　invidious　task　of　selection　among　the　vast　number　of　worthy　applicants；　and　have　ordered　my　army　commanders　to　prepare　their　lists　with　great　care；　and　to　express　their　preferences；　based　upon　claims　of　actual　capacity　and　services　rendered。
  These　I　will　consolidate；　and　submit　in　such　a　form　that；　if　mistakes　are　made；　they　will　at　least　be　sanctioned　by　the　best　contemporaneous　evidence　of　merit；　for　I　know　that　vacancies　do　not　exist　equal　in　number　to　that　of　the　officers　who　really　deserve　promotion。
  As　to　the　future；　I　am　pleased　to　know　that　your　army　is　being　steadily　reinforced　by　a　good　class　of　men；　and　I　hope　it　will　go　on　until　you　have　a　force　that　is　numerically　double　that　of　your　antagonist；　so　that　with　one　part　you　can　watch　him；　and　with　the　other　push　out　boldly　from　your　left　flank；　occupy　the　Southside　Railroad；　compel　him　to　attack　you　in　position；　or　accept　battle　on　your　own　terms。
  We　ought　to　ask　our　country　for　the　largest　possible　armies　that　can　be　raised；　as　so　important　a　thing　as　the　self…existence　of　a　great　nation　should　not　be　left　to　the　fickle　chances　of　war。
  Now　that　Mobile　is　shut　out　to　the　commerce　of　our　enemy；　it　calls　for　no　further　effort　on　our　part；　unless　the　capture　of　the　city　can　be　followed　by　the　occupation　of　the　Alabama　River　and　the　railroad　to　Columbus；　Georgia；　when　that　place　would　be　a　magnificent　auxiliary　to　my　further　progress　into　Georgia；　but；　until　General　Canby　is　much　reinforced；　and　until　he　can　more　thoroughly　subdue　the　scattered　armies　west　of　the　Mississippi；　I　suppose　that　much　cannot　be　attempted　by　him　against　the　Alabama　River　and　Columbus；　Georgia。
  The　utter　destruction　of　Wilmington；　North　Carolina；　is　of　importance　only　in　connection　with　the　necessity　of　cutting　off　all　foreign　trade　to　our　enemy；　and　if　Admiral　Farragut　can　get　across　the　bar；　and　move　quickly；　I　suppose　he　will　succeed。　　From　my　knowledge　of　the　mouth　of　Cape　Fear　River；　I　anticipate　more　difficulty　in　getting　the　heavy　ships　across　the　bar　than　in　reaching　the　town　of　Wilmington；　but；　of　course；　the　soundings　of　the　channel　are　well　known　at　Washington；　as　well　as　the　draught　of　his　iron…clads；　so　that　it　must　be　demonstrated　to　be　feasible；　or　else　it　would　not　be　attempted。　　If　successful；　I　suppose　that　Fort　Caswell　will　be　occupied；　and　the　fleet　at　once　sent　to　the　Savannah　River。　　Then　the　reduction　of　that　city　is　the　next　question。　　It　once　in　our　possession；　and　the　river　open　to　us；　I　would　not　hesitate　to　cross　the　State　of　Georgia　with　sixty　thousand　men；　hauling　some　stores；　and　depending　on　the　country　for　the　balance。　　Where　a　million　of　people　find　subsistence；　my　army　won't　starve；　but；　as　you　know；　in　a　country　like　Georgia；　with　few　roads　and　innumerable　streams；　an　inferior　force　can　so　delay　an　army　and　harass　it；　that　it　would　not　be　a　formidable　object；　but　if　the　enemy　knew　that　we　had　our　boats　in　the　Savannah　River　I　could　rapidly　move　to　Milledgeville；　where　there　is　abundance　of　corn　and　meat；　and　could　so　threaten　Macon　and　Augusta　that　the　enemy　world　doubtless　give　up　Macon　for　Augusta；　then　I　would　move　so　as　to　interpose　between　Augusta　and　Savannah；　and　force　him　to　give　us　Augusta；　with　the　only　powder…mills　and　factories　remaining　in　the　South；　or　let　us　have　the　use　of　the　Savannah　River。　　Either　horn　of　the　dilemma　will　be　worth　a　battle。　　I　would　prefer　his　holding　Augusta　（as　the　probabilities　are）；　for　then；　with　the　Savannah　River　in　our　possession；　the　taking　of　Augusta　would　be　a　mere　matter　of　time。　　This　campaign　can　be　made　in　the　winter。
  But　the　more　I　study　the　game；　the　more　am　I　convinced　that　it　would　be　wrong　for　us　to　penetrate　farther　into　Georgia　without　an　objective　beyond。　　It　would　not　be　productive　of　much　good。　　I　can　start　east　and　make　a　circuit　south　and　back；　doing　vast　damage　to　the　State；　but　resulting　in　no　permanent　good；　and　by　mere　threatening　to　do　so；　I　hold　a　rod　over　the　Georgians；　who　are　not　over…loyal　to　the　South。　　I　will　therefore　give　it　as　my　opinion　that　your　army　and　Canby's　should　be　reinforced　to　the　maximum；　that；　after　you　get　Wilmington；　you　should　strike　for　Savannah　and　its　river；　that　General　Canby　should　hold　the　Mississippi　River；　and　send　a　force　to　take　Columbus；　Georgia；　either　by　way　of　the　Alabama　or　Appalachicola　River；　that　I　should　keep　Hood　employed　and　put　my　army　in　fine　order　for　a　march　on　Augusta；　Columbia；　and　Charleston；　and　start　as　soon　as　Wilmington　is　sealed　to　commerce；　and　the　city　of　Savannah　is　in　our　possession。
  I　think　it　will　be　found　that　the　movements　of　Price　and　Shelby；　west　of　the　Mississippi；　are　mere　diversions。　　They　cannot　hope　to　enter　Missouri　except　as　raiders；　and　the　truth　is；　that　General　Rosecrans　should　be　ashamed　to　take　my　troops　for　such　a　purpose。　If　you　will　secure　Wilmington　and　the　city　of　Savannah　from　your　centre；　and　let　General　Canby　leave　command　over　the　Mississippi　River　and　country　west　of　it；　I　will　send　a　force　to　the　Alabama　and　Appalachicola；　provided　you　give　me　one　hundred　thousand　of　the　drafted　men　to　fill　up　my　old　regiments；　and　if　you　will　fix　a　day　to　be　in　Savannah；　I　will　insure　our　possession　of　Macon　and　a　point　on　the　river　below　Augusta。　　The　possession　of　the　Savannah　River　is　more　than　fatal　to　the　possibility　of　Southern　independence。　　They　may　stand　the　fall　of　Richmond；　but　not　of　all　Georgia。
  I　will　have　a　long　talk　with　Colonel　Porter；　and　tell　him　every　thing　that　may　occur　to　me　of　interest　to　you。
  In　the　mean　time；　know　that　I　admire　your　dogged　perseverance　and　pluck　more　than　ever。　　If　you　can　whip　Lee　and　I　can　march　to　the　Atlantic；　I　think　Uncle　Abe　will　give　us　a　twenty　days'　leave　of　absence　to　see　the　young　folks。
  Yours　as　ever；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY；　WASHINGTON；　September　16；　1864。
  General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Atlanta；　Georgia。
  My　DEAR　GENERAL：　Your　very　interesting　letter　of　the　4th　is　just　received。　　Its　perusal　has　given　me　the　greatest　pleasure。　　I　have　not　written　before　to　congratulate　you　on　the　capture　of　Atlanta；　the　objective　point　of　your　brilliant　campaign；　for　the　reason　that　I　have　been　suffering　from　my　annual　attack　of　〃coryza；〃　or　hay…cold。　　It　affects　my　eyes　so　much　that　I　can　scarcely　see　to　write。　　As　you　suppose；　I　have　watched　your　movements　most　attentively　and　critically；　and　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　your　campaign　has　been　the　most　brilliant　of　the　war。　　Its　results　are　less　striking　and　less　complete　than　those　of　General　Grant　at　Vicksburg；　but　then　you　have　had　greater　difficulties　to　encounter；　a　longer　line　of　communications　to　keep　up；　and　a　longer　and　more　continuous　strain　upon　yourself　and　upon　your　army。
  You　must　have　been　very　considerably　annoyed　by　the　State　negro　recruiting…agents。　　Your　letter　was　a　capital　one；　and　did　much　good。　　The　law　was　a　ridiculous　one；　it　was　opposed　by　the　War　Department；　but　passed　through　the　influence　of　Eastern　manufacturers；　who　hoped　to　escape　the　draft　in　that　way。　　They　were　making　immense　fortunes　out　of　the　war；　and　could　well　afford　to　purchase　negro　recruits；　and　thus　save　their　employees　at　home。
  I　fully　agree　with　you　in　regard　to　the　policy　of　a　stringent　draft；　but；　unfortunately；　political　influences　are　against　us；　and　I　fear　it　will　not　amount　to　much。　　Mr。　Seward's　speech　at　Auburn；　again　prophesying；　for　the　twentieth　time；　that　the　rebellion　would　be　crushed　in　a　few　months；　and　saying　that　there　would　be　no　draft；　as　we　now　had　enough　soldiers　to　end　the　war；　etc。；　has　done　much　harm；　in　a　military　point　of　view。　　I　have　seen　enough　of　politics　here　to　last　me　for　life。　　You　are　right　in　avoiding　them。　McClellan　may　possibly　reach　the　White　House；　but　he　will　lose　the　respect　of　all　honest；　high…minded　patriots；　by　his　affiliation　with　such　traitors　and　Copperheads　as　B…；　V…；　W…；　S…；　&　Co。　He　would　not　stand　upon　the　traitorous　Chicago　platform；　but　he　had　not　the　manliness　to　oppose　it。　　A　major…general　in　the　United　States　Army；　and　yet　not　one　word　to　utter　against　rebels　or　the　rebellion！　　I　had　much　respect　for　McClellan　before　he　became　a　politician；　but　very　little　after　reading　his　letter　accepting　the　nomination。
  Hooker　certainly　made　a　mistake　in　leaving　before　the　capture　of　Atlanta。　　I　understand　that；　when　here；　he　said　that　you　would　fail；　your　army　was　discouraged　and　dissatisfied；　etc。；　etc。　　He　is　most　unmeasured　in　his　abuse　of　me。　　I　inclose　you　a　specimen　of　what　he　publishes　in　Northern　papers；　wherever　he　goes。　　They　are　dictated　by　himself　and　written　by　W。　B。　　and　such　worthies。　　The　funny　part　of　the　business　is；　that　I　had　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　his　being　relieved　on　either　occasion。　　Moreover；　I　have　never　said　any　thing　to　the　President　or　Secretary　of　War　to　injure　him　in　the　slightest　degree；　and　he　knows　that　perfectly　well。　　His　animosity　arises　from　another　source。　　He　is　aware　that　I　know　some　things　about　his　character　and　conduct　in　California；　and；　fearing　that　I　may　use　that　informatio