South。　　His　orders；　on　assuming　command；　were　full　of　alarm　and　desperation；　dated：
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　WEST　October　17；　1864
  In　assuming　command；　at　this　critical　juncture；　of　the　Military　Division　of　the　West；　I　appeal　to　my　countrymen；　of　all　classes　and　sections；　for　their　generous　support。　　In　assigning　me　to　this　responsible　position；　the　President　of　the　Confederate　States　has　extended　to　me　the　assurance　of　his　earnest　support。　　The　Executives　of　your　States　meet　me　with　similar　expressions　of　their　devotion　to　our　cause。　　The　noble　army　in　the　field；　composed　of　brave　men　and　gallant　officers；　are　strangers　to　me；　but　I　know　they　will　do　all　that　patriots　can　achieve。。。。。
  The　army　of　Sherman　still　defiantly　holds　Atlanta。　　He　can　and　must　be　driven　from　it。　　It　is　only　for　the　good　people　of　Georgia　and　surrounding　states　to　speak　the　word；　and　the　work　is　done；　we　have　abundant　provisions。　　There　are　men　enough　in　the　country；　liable　to　and　able　for　service；　to　accomplish　the　result。。。。。
  My　countrymen；　respond　to　this　call　as　you　have　done　in　days　that　are　past；　and；　with　the　blessing　of　a　kind　and　overruling　Providence；　the　enemy　shall　be　driven　from　your　soil。　　The　security　of　your　wives　and　daughters　from　the　insults　and　outrages　of　a　brutal　foe　shall　be　established　soon；　and　be　followed　by　a；　permanent　and　honorable　peace。　　The　claims　of　home　and　country；　wife　and　children；　uniting　with　the　demands　of　honor　and　patriotism；　summon　us　to　the　field。　　We　cannot；　dare　not；　will　not　fail　to　respond。　　Full　of　hope　and　confidence；　I　come　to　join　you　in　your　struggles；　sharing　your　privations；　and；　with　your　brave　and　true　men；　to　strike　the　blow　that　shall　bring　success　to　our；　arms；　triumph　to　our　cause；　and　peace　to　our　country！。。。。。。
  G。　T。　BEAUREGARD；　General。
  Notwithstanding　this　somewhat　boastful　order　or　appeal；　General　Beauregard　did　not　actually　accompany　General　Hood　on　his　disastrous　march　to　Nashville；　but　took　post　at　Corinth；　Mississippi；　to　control　the　movement　of　his　supplies　and　to　watch　me。
  At　Gaylesville　the　pursuit　of　Hood　by　the　army　under　my　immediate　command　may　be　said　to　have　ceased。　　During　this　pursuit；　the　Fifteenth　Corps　was　commanded　by　its　senior　major…general　present；　P。　J。　Osterhaus；　in　the　absence　of　General　John　A。　Logan；　and　the　Seventeenth　Corps　was　commanded　by　Brigadier…General　T。　E。　G。　Ransom；　the　senior　officer　present；　in　the　absence　of　General　Frank　P。　　Blair。
  General　Ransom　was　a　young；　most　gallant；　and　promising　officer；　son　of　the　Colonel　Ransom　who　was　killed　at　Chapultepec；　in　the　Mexican　War。　　He　had　served　with　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　in　1862　and　1863；　at　Vicksburg；　where　he　was　severely　wounded。　　He　was　not　well　at　the　time　we　started　from　Atlanta；　but　he　insisted　on　going　along　with　his　command。　　His　symptoms　became　more　aggravated　on　the　march；　and　when　we　were　encamped　near　Gaylesville；　I　visited　him　in　company　with　Surgeon　John　Moors；　United　States　Army；　who　said　that　the　case　was　one　of　typhoid　fever；　which　would　likely　prove　fatal。　A　few　days　after；　viz。；　the　28th；　he　was　being　carried　on　a　litter　toward　Rome；　and　as　I　rode　from　Gaylesville　to　Rome；　I　passed　him　by　the　way；　stopped；　and　spoke　with　him；　but　did　not　then　suppose　he　was　so　near　his　end。　　The　next　day；　however；　his　escort　reached　Rome；　bearing　his　dead　body。　　The　officer　in　charge　reported　that；　shortly　after　I　had　passed；　his　symptoms　became　so　much　worse　that　they　stopped　at　a　farmhouse　by　the　road…side；　where　he　died　that　evening。　　His　body　was　at　once　sent　to　Chicago　for　burial；　and　a　monument　has　been　ordered　by　the　Society　of　the　Army　of　the　Tennessee　to　be　erected　in　his　memory。
  On　the　26th　of　October　I　learned　that　Hood's　whole　army　had　made　its　appearance　about　Decatur；　Alabama；　and　at　once　caused　a　strong　reconnoissance　to　be　made　down　the　Coosa　to　near　Gadsden；　which　revealed　the　truth　that　the　enemy　was　gone　except　a　small　force　of　cavalry；　commanded　by　General　Wheeler；　which　had　been　left　to　watch　us。　　I　then　finally　resolved　on　my　future　course；　which　was　to　leave　Hood　to　be　encountered　by　General　Thomas；　while　I　should　carry　into　full　effect　the　long…contemplated　project　of　marching　for　the　sea…coast；　and　thence　to　operate　toward　Richmond。　　But　it　was　all…important　to　me　and　to　our　cause　that　General　Thomas　should　have　an　ample　force；　equal　to　any　and　every　emergency。
  He　then　had　at　Nashville　about　eight　or　ten　thousand　new　troops；　and　as　many　more　civil　employs　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　which　were　not　suited　far　the　field；　but　would　be　most　useful　in　manning　the　excellent　forts　that　already　covered　Nashville。　　At　Chattanooga；　he　had　General　Steedman's　division；　about　five　thousand　men；　besides　garrisons　for　Chattanooga；　Bridgeport；　and　Stevenson；　at　Murfreesboro'　he　also　had　General　Rousseau's　division；　which　was　full　five　thousand　strong；　independent　of　the　necessary　garrisons　for　the　railroad。　　At　Decatur　and　Huntsville；　Alabama；　was　the　infantry　division　of　General　R。　S。　Granger；　estimated　at　four　thousand；　and　near　Florence；　Alabama。；　watching　the　crossings　of　the　Tennessee；　were　General　Edward　Hatch's　division　of　cavalry；　four　thousand；　General　Croxton's　brigade；　twenty…five　hundred；　and　Colonel　Capron's　brigade；　twelve　hundred；　besides　which；　General　J。　　H。　　Wilson　had　collected　in　Nashville　about　ten　thousand　dismounted　cavalry；　for　which　he　was　rapidly　collecting　the　necessary　horses　for　a　remount。　　All　these　aggregated　about　forty…five　thousand　men。　　General　A。　J。　Smith　at　that　time　was　in　Missouri；　with　the　two　divisions　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps　which　had　been　diverted　to　that　quarter　to　assist　General　Rosecrans　in　driving　the　rebel　General　Price　out　of　Missouri。　　This　object　had　been　accomplished；　and　these　troops；　numbering　from　eight　to　ten　thousand；　had　been　ordered　to　Nashville。　　To　these　I　proposed　at　first　to　add　only　the　Fourth　Corps　（General　Stanley）；　fifteen　thousand；　and　that　corps　was　ordered　from　Gaylesville~to　march　to　Chattanooga；　and　thence　report　for　orders　to　General　Thomas；　but　subsequently；　on　the　30th　of　October；　at　Rome；　Georgia；　learning　from　General　Thomas　that　the　new　troops　promised　by　General　Grant　were　coming　forward　very；　slowly；　I　concluded　to　further　reenforce　him　by　General　Schofield's　corps　（Twenty…third）；　twelve　thousand；　which　corps　accordingly　marched　for　Resaca；　and　there　took　the　cars　for　Chattanooga。　　I　then　knew　that　General　Thomas　would　have　an　ample　force　with　which　to　encounter　General　Hood　anywhere　in　the　open　field；　besides　garrisons　to　secure　the　railroad　to　his　rear　and　as　far　forward　as　Chattanooga。　　And；　moreover；　I　was　more　than　convinced　that　he　would　have　ample　time　for　preparation；　for；　on　that　very　day；　General　R。　S。　Granger　had　telegraphed　me　from　Decatur；　Alabama：
  I　omitted　to　mention　another　reason　why　Hood　will　go　to　Tusomnbia　before　crossing　the　Tennessee　River。　　He　was　evidently　out　of　supplies。　　His　men　were　all　grumbling；　the　first　thing　the　prisoners　asked　for　was　something　to　eat。　　Hood　could　not　get　any　thing　if　he　should　cross　this　side　of　Rogersville。
  I　knew　that　the　country　about　Decatur　and　Tuscumbia；　Alabama；　was　bare　of　provisions；　and　inferred　that　General　Hood　would　have　to　draw　his　supplies；　not　only　of　food；　but　of　stores；　clothing；　and　ammunition；　from　Mobile；　Montgomery；　and　Selma；　Alabama；　by　the　railroad　around　by　Meridian　and　Corinth；　Mississippi；　which　we　had　most　effectually　disabled　the　previous　winter。
  General　Hood　did　not　make　a　serious　attack　on　Decatur；　but　hung　around　it　from　October　26th　to　the　30th；　when　he　drew　off　and　marched　for　a　point　on　the　south　side　of　the　Tennessee　River；　opposite　Florence；　where　he　was　compelled　to　remain　nearly　a　month；　to　collect　the　necessary　supplies　for　his　contemplated　invasion　of　Tennessee　and　Kentucky。
  The　Fourth　Corps　（Stanley）　had　already　reached　Chattanooga；　and　had　been　transported　by　rail　to　Pulaski；　Tennessee；　and　General　Thomas　ordered　General　Schofield；　with　the　Twenty…third　Corps；　to　Columbia；　Tennessee；　a　place　intermediate　between　Hood　（then　on　the　Tennessee　River；　opposite　Florence）　and　Forrest；　opposite　Johnsonville。
  On　the　31st　of　October　General　Croxton；　of　the　cavalry；　reported　that　the　enemy　had　crossed　the　Tennessee　River　four　miles　above　Florence；　and　that　he　had　endeavored　to　stop　him；　but　without　success。　　Still；　I　was　convinced　that　Hood's　army　was　in　no　condition　to　march　for　Nashville；　and　that　a　good　deal　of　further　delay　might　reasonably　be　counted　on。　　I　also　rested　with　much　confidence　on　the　fact　that　the　Tennessee　River　below　Muscle　Shoals　was　strongly　patrolled　by　gunboats；　and　that　the　reach　of　the　river　above　Muscle　Shoals；　from　Decatur　as　high　up　as　our　railroad　at　Bridgeport；　was　also　guarded　by　gunboats；　so　that　Hood；　to　cross　over；　would　be　compelled　to　select　a　point　inaccessible　to　these　gunboats。　　He　actually　did　choose　such　a　place；　at　the　old　railroad…piers；　four　miles　above　Florence；　Alabama；　which　is　below　Muscle　Shoals　and　above　Colbert　Shoals。
  On　the　31st　of　October　Forrest　made　his　appearance　on　the　Tennessee　River　opposite　Johnsonville　（whence　a　new　railroad　led　to　Nashville）；　and　with　his　cavalry　and　field　pieces　actually　crippled　and　capt