On　the　17th　I　received　by　telegraph　from　President　Lincoln　this　dispatch：
  WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　September　17；　1864
  Major…General　SHERMAN：
  I　feel　great　interest　in　the　subjects　of　your　dispatch；　mentioning　corn　and　sorghum；　and　the　contemplated　visit　to　you。
  A。　LINCOLN；　President　of　the　United　States。
  I　replied　at　once：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　17；　1864。
  President　LINCOLN；　Washington。；　D。　C。：
  I　will　keep　the　department　fully　advised　of　all　developments　connected　with　the　subject　in　which　you　feel　interested。
  Mr。　Wright；　former　member　of　Congress　from　Rome；　Georgia；　and　Mr。　King；　of　Marietta；　are　now　going　between　Governor　Brown　and　myself。　I　have　said　to　them　that　some　of　the　people　of　Georgia　are　engaged　in　rebellion；　began　in　error　and　perpetuated　in　pride；　but　that　Georgia　can　now　save　herself　from　the　devastations　of　war　preparing　for　her；　only　by　withdrawing　her　quota　out　of　the　Confederate　Army；　and　aiding　me　to　expel　Hood　from　the　borders　of　the　State；　in　which　event；　instead　of　desolating　the　land　as　we　progress；　I　will　keep　our　men　to　the　high…roads　and　commons；　and　pay　for　the　corn　and　meat　we　need　and　take。
  I　am　fully　conscious　of　the　delicate　nature　of　such　assertions；　but　it　would　be　a　magnificent　stroke　of　policy　if　we　could；　without　surrendering　principle　or　a　foot　of　ground；　arouse　the　latent　enmity　of　Georgia　against　Davis。
  The　people　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　Mr。　Stephens　was　and　is　a　Union　man　at　heart；　and　they　say　that　Davis　will　not　trust　him　or　let　him　have　a　share　in　his　Government。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  I　have　not　the　least　doubt　that　Governor　Brown；　at　that　time；　seriously　entertained　the　proposition；　but　he　hardly　felt　ready　to　act；　and　simply　gave　a　furlough　to　the　militia；　and　called　a　special　session　of　the　Legislature；　to　meet　at　Milledgeville；　to　take　into　consideration　the　critical　condition　of　affairs　in　the　State。
  On　the　20th　of　September　Colonel　Horace　Porter　arrived　from　General　Grant；　at　City　Point；　bringing　me　the　letter　of　September　12th；　asking　my　general　views　as　to　what　should　next　be　done。　　He　staid　several　days　at　Atlanta；　and　on　his　return　carried　back　to　Washington　my　full　reports　of　the　past　campaign；　and　my　letter　of　September　20th　to　General　Grant　in　answer　to　his　of　the　12th。
  About　this　time　we　detected　signs　of　activity　on　the　part　of　the　enemy。　　On　the　21st　Hood　shifted　his　army　across　from　the　Mason　road；　at　Lovejoy's；　to　the　West　Point　road；　at　Palmetto　Station；　and　his　cavalry　appeared　on　the　west　side　of　the　Chattahoochee；　toward　Powder　Springs；　thus；　as　it　were；　stepping　aside；　and　opening　wide　the　door　for　us　to　enter　Central　Georgia。　　I　inferred；　however；　that　his　real　purpose　was　to　assume　the　offensive　against　our　railroads；　and　on　the　24th　a　heavy　force　of　cavalry　from　Mississippi；　under　General　Forrest；　made　its　appearance　at　Athena；　Alabama；　and　captured　its　garrison。
  General　Newton's　division　（of　the　Fourth　Corps）；　and　Corse's　（of　the　Seventeenth）；　were　sent　back　by　rail；　the　former　to　Chattanooga；　and　the　latter　to　Rome。　　On　the　25th　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck：
  Hood　seems　to　be　moving；　as　it　were；　to　the　Alabama　line；　leaving　open　the　road　to　Mason；　as　also　to　Augusta；　but　his　cavalry　is　busy　on　all　our　roads。　　A　force；　number　estimated　as　high　as　eight　thousand；　are　reported　to　have　captured　Athena；　Alabama；　and　a　regiment　of　three　hundred　and　fifty　men　sent　to　its　relief。　　I　have　sent　Newton's　division　up　to　Chattanooga　in　cars；　and　will　send　another　division　to　Rome。　　If　I　were　sure　that　Savannah　would　soon　be　in　our　possession；　I　should　be　tempted　to　march　for　Milledgeville　and　Augusta；　but　I　must　first　secure　what　I　have。　Jeff。　Davis　is　at　Macon。
  On　the　next　day　I　telegraphed　further　that　Jeff。　Davis　was　with　Hood　at　Palmetto　Station。　　One　of　our　spies　was　there　at　the　time；　who　came　in　the　next　night；　and　reported　to　me　the　substance　of　his　speech　to　the　soldiers。　　It　was　a　repetition　of　those　he　had　made　at　Colombia；　South　Carolina；　and　Mason；　Georgia；　on　his　way　out；　which　I　had　seen　in　the　newspapers。　　Davis　seemed　to　be　perfectly　upset　by　the　fall　of　Atlanta；　and　to　have　lost　all　sense　and　reason。　　He　denounced　General　Jos。　Johnston　and　Governor　Brown　as　little　better　than　traitors；　attributed　to　them　personally　the　many　misfortunes　which　had　befallen　their　cause；　and　informed　the　soldiers　that　now　the　tables　were　to　be　turned；　that　General　Forrest　was　already　on　our　roads　in　Middle　Tennessee；　and　that　Hood's　army　would　soon　be　there。　　He　asserted　that　the　Yankee　army　would　have　to　retreat　or　starve；　and　that　the　retreat　would　prove　more　disastrous　than　was　that　of　Napoleon　from　Moscow。　　He　promised　his　Tennessee　and　Kentucky　soldiers　that　their　feet　should　soon　tread　their　〃native　soil；〃　etc。；　etc。　　He　made　no　concealment　of　these　vainglorious　boasts；　and　thus　gave　us　the　full　key　to　his　future　designs。　　To　be　forewarned　was　to　be　forearmed；　and　I　think　we　took　full　advantage　of　the　occasion。
  On　the　26th　I　received　this　dispatch。
  CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；September　26；1864…10　a。m。
  Major…General　SHERMAN；　Atlanta　It　will　be　better　to　drive　Forrest　out　of　Middle　Tennessee　as　a　first　step；　and　do　any　thing　else　you　may　feel　your　force　sufficient　for。　　When　a　movement　is　made　on　any　part　of　the　sea…coast；　I　will　advise　you。　　If　Hood　goes　to　the　Alabama　line；　will　it　not　be　impossible　for　him　to　subsist　his　army？　U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  Answer：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　26；　1864。
  GENERAL：　I　have　your　dispatch　of　to…day。　I　have　already　sent　one　division　（Newton's）　to　Chattanooga；　and　another　（Corse's）　to　Rome。
  Our　armies　are　much　reduced；　and　if　I　send　back　any　more；　I　will　not　be　able　to　threaten　Georgia　much。　　There　are　men　enough　to　the　rear　to　whip　Forrest；　but　they　are　necessarily　scattered　to　defend　the　roads。
  Can　you　expedite　the　sending　to　Nashville　of　the　recruits　that　are　in　Indiana　and　Ohio？　They　could　occupy　the　forts。
  Hood　is　now　on　the　West　Point　road；　twenty…four　miles　south　of　this；　and　draws　his　supplies　by　that　road。　　Jefferson　Davis　is　there　to…day；　and　superhuman　efforts　will　be　made　to　break　my　road。
  Forrest　is　now　lieutenant…general；　and　commands　all　the　enemy's　cavalry。
  W。　T。　　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  General　Grant　first　thought　I　was　in　error　in　supposing　that　Jeff。　Davis　was　at　Macon　and　Palmetto；　but　on　the　27th　I　received　a　printed　copy　of　his　speech　made　at　Macon　on　the　22d；　which　was　so　significant　that　I　ordered　it　to　be　telegraphed　entire　as　far　as　Louisville；　to　be　sent　thence　by　mail　to　Washington；　and　on　the　same　day　received　this　dispatch：
  WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　September　27；　1864…9　a。m。　Major…General　SHERMAN；　Atlanta：　You　say　Jeff　Davis　is　on　a　visit　to　General　Hood。　　I　judge　that　Brown　and　Stephens　are　the　objects　of　his　visit。　A。　LINCOLN；　President　of　the　United　States。
  To　which　I　replied：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　28；　1864。
  President　LINCOLN；　Washington；　D。　C。：
  I　have　positive　knowledge　that　Mr。　Davis　made　a　speech　at　Macon；　on　the　22d；　which　I　mailed　to　General　Halleck　yesterday。　　It　was　bitter　against　General　Jos。　Johnston　and　Governor　Brown。　　The　militia　are　on　furlough。　　Brown　is　at　Milledgeville；　trying　to　get　a　Legislature　to　meet　next　month；　but　he　is　afraid　to　act　unless　in　concert　with　other　Governors；　Judge　Wright；　of　Rome；　has　been　here；　and　Messrs。　Hill　and　Nelson；　former　members　of　Congress；　are　here　now；　and　will　go　to　meet　Wright　at　Rome；　and　then　go　back　to　Madison　and　Milledgeville。
  Great　efforts　are　being　made　to　reenforce　Hood's　army；　and　to　break　up　my　railroads；　and　I　should　have　at　once　a　good　reserve　force　at　Nashville。　　It　would　have　a　bad　effect；　if　I　were　forced　to　send　back　any　considerable　part　of　my　army　to　guard　roads；　so　as　to　weaken　me　to　an　extent　that　I　could　not　act　offensively　if　the　occasion　calls　for　it。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  All　this　time　Hood　and　I　were　carrying　on　the　foregoing　correspondence　relating　to　the　exchange　of　prisoners；　the　removal　of　the　people　from　Atlanta；　and　the　relief　of　our　prisoners　of　war　at　Andersonville。　　Notwithstanding　the　severity　of　their　imprisonment；　some　of　these　men　escaped　from　Andersonville；　and　got　to　me　at　Atlanta。　　They　described　their　sad　condition：　more　than　twenty…five　thousand　prisoners　confined　in　a　stockade　designed　for　only　ten　thousand；　debarred　the　privilege　of　gathering　wood　out　of　which　to　make　huts；　deprived　of　sufficient　healthy　food；　and　the　little　stream　that　ran　through　their　prison　pen　poisoned　and　polluted　by　the　offal　from　their　cooking　and　butchering　houses　above。　　On　the　22d　of　September　I　wrote　to　General　Hood；　describing　the　condition　of　our　men　at　Andersonville；　purposely　refraining　from　casting　odium　on　him　or　his　associates　for　the　treatment　of　these　men；　but　asking　his　consent　for　me　to　procure　from　our　generous　friends　at　the　North　the　articles　of　clothing　and　comfort　which　they　wanted；　viz。；　under…clothing；　soap；　combs；　scissors；　etc。all　needed　to　keep　them　in　healthand　to　send　these