ap；　combs；　scissors；　etc。all　needed　to　keep　them　in　healthand　to　send　these　stores　with　a　train；　and　an　officer　to　issue　them。　　General　Hood；　on　the　24th；　promptly　consented；　and　I　telegraphed　to　my　friend　Mr。　James　E。　Yeatman；　Vice…President　of　the　Sanitary　Commission　at　St。　Louis；　to　send　us　all　the　under…clothing　and　soap　he　could　spare；　specifying　twelve　hundred　fine…tooth　combs；　and　four　hundred　pairs　of　shears　to　cut　hair。　　These　articles　indicate　the　plague　that　most　afflicted　our　prisoners　at　Andersonville。
  Mr。　Yeatman　promptly　responded　to　my　request；　expressed　the　articles；　but　they　did　not　reach　Andersonville　in　time；　for　the　prisoners　were　soon　after　removed；　these　supplies　did；　however；　finally　overtake　them　at　Jacksonville；　Florida；　just　before　the　war　closed。
  On　the　28th　I　received　from　General　Grant　two　dispatches
  CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　September　27；　1864…8。30　a。m。　Major…General　SHERMAN：　It　is　evident；　from　the　tone　of　the　Richmond　press　and　from　other　sources　of　information；　that　the　enemy　intend　making　a　desperate　effort　to　drive　you　from　where　you　are。　　I　have　directed　all　new　troops　from　the　West；　and　from　the　East　too；　if　necessary；　in　case　none　are　ready　in　the　West；　to　be　sent　to　you。　　If　General　Burbridge　is　not　too　far　on　his　way　to　Abingdon；　I　think　he　had　better　be　recalled　and　his　surplus　troops　sent　into　Tennessee。　U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　September　27；　1864…10。30　a。m。　Major…General　SHERMAN：　I　have　directed　all　recruits　and　new　troops　from　all　the　Western　States　to　be　sent　to　Nashville；　to　receive　their　further　orders　from　you。　　I　was　mistaken　about　Jeff。　Davis　being　in　Richmond　on　Thursday　laSt。　He　was　then　on　his　way　to　Macon。　U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  Forrest　having　already　made　his　appearance　in　Middle　Tennessee；　and　Hood　evidently　edging　off　in　that　direction；　satisfied　me　that　the　general　movement　against　our　roads　had　begun。　　I　therefore　determined　to　send　General　Thomas　back　to　Chattanooga；　with　another　division　（Morgan's；　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps）；　to　meet　the　danger　in　Tennessee。　　General　Thomas　went　up　on　the　29th；　and　Morgan's　division　followed　the　same　day；　also　by　rail。　　And　I　telegraphed　to　General　Halleck
  I　take　it　for　granted　that　Forrest　will　cut　our　road；　but　think　we　can　prevent　him　from　making　a　serious　lodgment。　　His　cavalry　will　travel　a　hundred　miles　where　ours　will　ten。　　I　have　sent　two　divisions　up　to　Chattanooga　and　one　to　Rome；　and　General　Thomas　started　to…day　to　drive　Forrest　out　of　Tennessee。　　Our　roads　should　be　watched　from　the　rear；　and　I　am　glad　that　General　Grant　has　ordered　reserves　to　Nashville。　　I　prefer　for　the　future　to　make　the　movement　on　Milledgeville；　Millen；　and　Savannah。　　Hood　now　rests　twenty…four　miles　south；　on　the　Chattahoochee；　with　his　right　on　the　West　Point　road。　　He　is　removing　the　iron　of　the　Macon　road。　　I　can　whip　his　infantry；　but　his　cavalry　is　to　be　feared。
  There　was　great　difficulty　in　obtaining　correct　information　about　Hood's　movements　from　Palmetto　Station。　　I　could　not　get　spies　to　penetrate　his　camps；　but　on　the　1st　of　October　I　was　satisfied　that　the　bulk　of　his　infantry　was　at　and　across　the　Chattahoochee　River；　near　Campbellton；　and　that　his　cavalry　was　on　the　west　side；　at　Powder　Springs。　　On　that　day　I　telegraphed　to　General　Grant：
  Hood　is　evidently　across　the　Chattahoochee；　below　Sweetwater。　　If　he　tries　to　get　on　our　road；　this　side　of　the　Etowah；　I　shall　attack　him；　but　if　he　goes　to　the　Selma　&　Talladega　road；　why　will　it　not　do　to　leave　Tennessee　to　the　forces　which　Thomas　has；　and　the　reserves　soon　to　come　to　Nashville；　and　for　me　to　destroy　Atlanta　and　march　across　Georgia　to　Savannah　or　Charleston；　breaking　roads　and　doing　irreparable　damage？　We　cannot　remain　on　the　defensive。
  The　Selma　&　Talladega　road　herein　referred　to　was　an　unfinished　railroad　from　Selma；　Alabama；　through　Talladega；　to　Blue　Mountain；　a　terminus　sixty…five　miles　southwest　of　Rome　and　about　fifteen　miles　southeast　of　Gadsden；　where　the　rebel　army　could　be　supplied　from　the　direction　of　Montgomery　and　Mobile；　and　from　which　point　Hood　could　easily　threaten　Middle　Tennessee。　　My　first　impression　was；　that　Hood　would　make　for　that　point；　but　by　the　3d　of　October　the　indications　were　that　he　would　strike　our　railroad　nearer　us；　viz。；　about　Kingston　or　Marietta。
  Orders　were　at　once　made　for　the　Twentieth　Corps　（Slocum's）　to　hold　Atlanta　and　the　bridges　of　the　Chattahoochee；　and　the　other　corps　were　put　in　motion　for　Marietta。
  The　army　had　undergone　many　changes　since　the　capture　of　Atlanta。　General　Schofield　had　gone　to　the　rear；　leaving　General　J。　D。　Cog　in　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio　（Twenty…third　Corps）。　　General　Thomas；　also；　had　been　dispatched　to　Chattanooga；　with　Newton's　division　of　the　Fourth　Corps　and　Morgan's　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　leaving　General　D。　S。　Stanley；　the　senior　major…general　of　the　two　corps　of　his　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　remaining　and　available　for　this　movement；　viz。；　the　Fourth　and　Fourteenth；　commanded　by　himself　and　Major…General　Jeff。　C。　Davis；　and　after　General　Dodge　was　wounded；　his　corps　（the　Sixteenth）　had　been　broken　up；　and　its　two　divisions　were　added　to　the　Fifteenth　and　Seventeenth　Corps；　constituting　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee；　commanded　by　Major…General　O。　O。　Howard。　　Generals　Logan　and　Blair　had　gone　home　to　assist　in　the　political　canvass；　leaving　their　corps；　viz。；　the　Fifteenth　and　Seventeenth；　under　the　command　of　Major…Generals　Osterhaus　and　T。　E。　G。　Ransom。
  These　five　corps　were　very　much　reduced　in　strength；　by　detachments　and　by　discharges；　so　that　for　the　purpose　of　fighting　Hood　I　had　only　about　sixty　thousand　infantry　and　artillery；　with　two　small　divisions　of　cavalry　（Kilpatrick's　and　Garrard's）。　　General　Elliott　was　the　chief　of　cavalry　to　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　and　was　the　senior　officer　of　that　arm　of　service　present　for　duty　with　me。
  We　had　strong　railroad　guards　at　Marietta　and　Kenesaw；　Allatoona；　Etowah　Bridge；　Kingston；　Rome；　Resaca；　Dalton；　Ringgold；　and　Chattanooga。　　All　the　important　bridges　were　likewise　protected　by　good　block…houses；　admirably　constructed；　and　capable　of　a　strong　defense　against　cavalry　or　infantry；　and　at　nearly　all　the　regular　railroad…stations　we　had　smaller　detachments　intrenched。　　I　had　little　fear　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　damaging　our　roads　seriously；　for　they　rarely　made　a　break　which　could　not　be　repaired　in　a　few　days；　but　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　keep　General　Hood's　infantry　off　our　main　route　of　communication　and　supply。　　Forrest　had　with　him　in　Middle　Tennessee　about　eight　thousand　cavalry；　and　Hood's　army　was　estimated　at　from　thirty…five　to　forty　thousand　men；　infantry　and　artillery；　including　Wheeler's　cavalry；　then　about　three　thousand　strong。
  We　crossed　the　Chattahoochee　River　during　the　3d　and　4th　of　October；　rendezvoused　at　the　old　battle…field　of　Smyrna　Camp；　and　the　next　day　reached　Marietta　and　Kenesaw。　　The　telegraph…wires　had　been　cut　above　Marietta；　and　learning　that　heavy　masses　of　infantry；　artillery；　and　cavalry；　had　been　seen　from　Kenesaw　（marching　north）；　I　inferred　that　Allatoona　was　their　objective　point；　and　on　the　4th　of　October　I　signaled　from　Mining's　Station　to　Kenesaw；　and　from　Kenesaw　to　Allatoona；　over　the　heads　of　the　enemy；　a　message　for　General　Corse；　at　Rome；　to　hurry　back　to　the　assistance　of　the　garrison　at　Allatoona。　　Allatoona　was　held　by；　a　small　brigade；　commanded　by　Lieutenant…Colonel　Tourtellotte；　my　present　aide…de…camp。　　He　had　two　small　redoubts　on　either　side　of　the　railroad；　overlooking　the　village　of　Allatoona；　and　the　warehouses；　in　which　were　stored　over　a　million　rations　of　bread。
  Reaching　Kenesaw　Mountain　about　8　a。m。　of　October　5th　（a　beautiful　day）；　I　had　a　superb　view　of　the　vast　panorama　to　the　north　and　weSt。　To　the　southwest；　about　Dallas；　could　be　seen　the　smoke　of　camp…fires；　indicating　the　presence　of　a　large　force　of　the　enemy；　and　the　whole　line　of　railroad　from　Big　Shanty　up　to　Allatoona　（full　fifteen　miles）　was　marked　by　the　fires　of　the　burning　railroad。　　We　could　plainly　see　the　smoke　of　battle　about；　Allatoona；　and　hear　the　faint　reverberation　of　the　cannon。
  》From　Kenesaw　I　ordered　the　Twenty…third　Corps　（General　Cox）　to　march　due　west　on　the　Burnt　Hickory　road；　and　to　burn　houses　or　piles　of　brush　as　it　progressed；　to　indicate　the　head　of　column；　hoping　to　interpose　this　corps　between　Hood's　main　army　at　Dallas　and　the　detachment　then　assailing　Allatoona。　　The　rest　of　the　army　was　directed　straight　for　Allatoona；　northwest；　distant　eighteen　miles。　　The　signal…officer　on　Kenesaw　reported　that　since　daylight　he　had　failed　to　obtain　any　answer　to　his　call　for　Allatoona；　but；　while　I　was　with　him；　he　caught　a　faint　glimpse　of　the　tell…tale　flag　through　an　embrasure；　and　after　much　time　he　made　out　these　letters…〃　C。；〃　〃R。；〃　〃S。；〃　〃E。；〃　〃H。；〃　〃E。；〃　〃R。；〃　and　translated　the　message〃Corse　is　here。〃　　It　was　a　source　of　great　relief；　for　it　gave　me　the　first　assurance　that　General　Corse　had　received　his　orders；　and　that　the　place　was　adequately　garrisoned。
  I　watched　with　painful　suspense　the　indications　of　the　battle　raging　there；　and　was　dreadfully　impatient　at　the　slow　progress　of　the　relieving　column；　whose　a