e　a　new　railroad　led　to　Nashville）；　and　with　his　cavalry　and　field　pieces　actually　crippled　and　captured　two　gunboats　with　five　of　our　transports；　a　feat　of　arms　which；　I　confess；　excited　my　admiration。
  There　is　no　doubt　that　the　month　of　October　closed　to　us　looking　decidedly　squally；　but；　somehow；　I　was　sustained　in　the　belief　that　in　a　very　few　days　the　tide　would　turn。
  On　the　1st　of　November　I　telegraphed　very　fully　to　General　Grant；　at　City　Point；　who　must　have　been　disturbed　by　the　wild　rumors　that　filled　the　country；　and　on　the　2d　of　November　received　（at　Rome）　this　dispatch：
  CITY　POINT；　　November　1；　18646　P。M。
  Major…General　SHERMAN：
  Do　you　not　think　it　advisable；　now　that　Hood　has　gone　so　far　north；　to　entirely　ruin　him　before　starting　on　your　proposed　campaign？　With　Hood's　army　destroyed；　you　can　go　where　you　please　with　impunity。　　I　believed　and　still　believe；　if　you　had　started　south　while　Hood　was　in　the　neighborhood　of　you；　he　would　have　been　forced　to　go　after　you。　　Now　that　he　is　far　away　he　might　look　upon　the　chase　as　useless；　and　he　will　go　in　one　direction　while　you　are　pushing　in　the　other。　　If　you　can　see　a　chance　of　destroying　Hood's　army；　attend　to　that　first；　and　make　your　other　move　secondary。
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  My　answer　is　dated
  ROME；　GEORGIA；　November　2；　1864。　Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point；　Virginia：
  Your　dispatch　is　received。　　If　I　could　hope　to　overhaul　Hood；　I　would　turn　against　him　with　my　whole　force；　then　he　would　retreat　to　the　south　west；　drawing　me　as　a　decoy　away　from　Georgia；　which　is　his　chief　object。　If　he　ventures　north　of　the　Tennessee　River；　I　may　turn　in　that　direction；　and　endeavor　to　get　below　him　on　his　line　of　retreat；　but　thus　far　he　has　not　gone　above　the　Tennessee　River。　　General　Thomas　will　have　a　force　strong　enough　to　prevent　his　reaching　any　country　in　which　we　have　an　interest；　and　he　has　orders；　if　Hood　turns　to　follow　me；　to　push　for　Selma；　Alabama。　　No　single　army　can　catch　Hood；　and　I　am　convinced　the　best　results　will　follow　from　our　defeating　Jeff。　Davis's　cherished　plea　of　making　me　leave　Georgia　by　manoeuvring。　　Thus　far　I　have　confined　my　efforts　to　thwart　this　plan；　and　have　reduced　baggage　so　that　I　can　pick　up　and　start　in　any　direction；　but　I　regard　the　pursuit　of　Hood　as　useless。　　Still；　if　he　attempts　to　invade　Middle　Tennessee；　I　will　hold　Decatur；　and　be　prepared　to　move　in　that　direction；　but；　unless　I　let　go　of　Atlanta；　my　force　will　not　be　equal　to　his。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  By　this　date；　under　the　intelligent　and　energetic　action　of　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright；　and　with　the　labor　of　fifteen　hundred　men；　the　railroad　break　of　fifteen　miles　about　Dalton　was　repaired　so　far　as　to　admit　of　the　passage　of　cars；　and　I　transferred　my　headquarters　to　Kingston　as　more　central；　and　from　that　place；　on　the　same　day　（November　2d）；　again　telegraphed　to　General　Grant：
  KINGSTON；　GEORGIA；　November　2；　1884。　Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　City　Point；　Virginia：　If　I　turn　back；　the　whole　effect　of　my　campaign　will　be　loSt。　By　my　movements　I　have　thrown　Beauregard　（Hood）　well　to　the　west；　and　Thomas　will　have　ample　time　and　sufficient　troops　to　hold　him　until　the　reenforcements　from　Missouri　reach　him。　　We　have　now　ample　supplies　at　Chattannooga　and　Atlanta；　and　can　stand　a　month's　interruption　to　our　communications。　　I　do　not　believe　the　Confederate　army　can　reach　our　railroad…lines　except　by　cavalry…raids；　and　Wilson　will　have　cavalry　enough　to　checkmate　them。　　I　am　clearly　of　opinion　that　the　best　results　will　follow　my　contemplated　movement　through　Georgia。　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  That　name　day　I　received；　in　answer　to　the　Rome　dispatch；　the　following：
  CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　November　2；186411。30　a。m。
  Major…General　SHERMAN：
  Your　dispatch　of　9　A。M。　yesterday　is　just　received。　　I　dispatched　you　the　same　date；　advising　that　Hood's　army；　now　that　it　had　worked　so　far　north；　ought　to　be　looked　upon　now　as　the　〃object。〃　With　the　force；　however；　that　you　have　left　with　General　Thomas；　he　must　be　able　to　take　care　of　Hood　and　destroy　him。
  I　do　not　see　that　you　can　withdraw　from　where　you　are　to　follow　Hood；　without　giving　up　all　we　have　gained　in　territory。　　I　say；　then；　go　on　as　you　propose。
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General；
  This　was　the　first　time　that　General　Grant　ordered　the　〃march　to　the　sea；〃　and；　although　many　of　his　warm　friends　and　admirers　insist　that　he　was　the　author　and　projector　of　that　march；　and　that　I　simply　executed　his　plans；　General　Grant　has　never；　in　my　opinion；　thought　so　or　said　so。　　The　truth　is　fully　given　in　an　original　letter　of　President　Lincoln；　which　I　received　at　Savannah；　Georgia；　and　have　at　this　instant　before　me；　every　word　of　which　is　in　his　own　familiar　handwriting。　　It　is　dated…
  WASHINGTON；　December　26；　1864。
  When　you　were　about　leaving　Atlanta　for　the　Atlantic　coast；　I　was　anxious；　if　not　fearful；　but；　feeling　that　you　were　the　better　judge；　and　remembering　〃nothing　risked；　nothing　gained；〃　I　did　not　interfere。　　Now；　the　undertaking　being　a　success；　the　honor　is　all　yours；　for　I　believe　none　of　us　went　further　than　to　acquiesce；　and；　taking　the　work　of　General　Thomas　into　account；　as　it　should　be　taken；　it　is　indeed　a　great　success。　　Not　only　does　it　afford　the　obvious　and　immediate　military　advantages；　but；　in　showing　to　the　world　that　your　army　could　be　divided；　putting　the　stronger　part　to　an　important　new　service；　and　yet　leaving　enough　to　vanquish　the　old　opposing　force　of　the　whole；　Hood's　army；　it　brings　those　who　sat　in　darkness　to　see　a　great　light。　　But　what　next？　　I　suppose　it　will　be　safer　if　I　leave　General　Grant　and　yourself　to　decide。
  A。　LINCOLN
  Of　course；　this　judgment；　made　after　the　event；　was　extremely　flattering　and　was　all　I　ever　expected；　a　recognition　of　the　truth　and　of　its　importance。　　I　have　often　been　asked；　by　well…meaning　friends；　when　the　thought　of　that　march　first　entered　my　mind。　　I　knew　that　an　army　which　had　penetrated　Georgia　as　far　as　Atlanta　could　not　turn　back。　　It　must　go　ahead；　but　when；　how；　and　where；　depended　on　many　considerations。　　As　soon　as　Hood　had　shifted　across　from　Lovejoy's　to　Palmetto；　I　saw　the　move　in　my　〃mind's　eye；〃　and；　after　Jeff。　Davis's　speech　at　Palmetto；　of　September　26th；　I　was　more　positive　in　my　conviction；　but　was　in　doubt　as　to　the　time　and　manner。　　When　General　Hood　first　struck　our　railroad　above　Marietta；　we　were　not　ready；　and　I　was　forced　to　watch　his　movements　further；　till　he　had　〃carromed〃　off　to　the　west　of　Decatur。　　Then　I　was　perfectly　convinced；　and　had　no　longer　a　shadow　of　doubt。　　The　only　possible　question　was　as　to　Thomas's　strength　and　ability　to　meet　Hood　in　the　open　field。　　I　did　not　suppose　that　General　Hood；　though　rash；　would　venture　to　attack　fortified　places　like　Allatoona；　Resaca；　Decatur；　and　Nashville；　but　he　did　so；　and　in　so　doing　he　played　into　our　hands　perfectly。
  On　the　2d　of　November　I　was　at　Kingston；　Georgia；　and　my　four　corpsthe　Fifteenth；　Seventeenth；　Fourteenth；　and　Twentiethwith　one　division　of　cavalry；　were　strung　from　Rome　to　Atlanta。　　Our　railroads　and　telegraph　had　been　repaired；　and　I　deliberately　prepared　for　the　march　to　Savannah；　distant　three　hundred　miles　from　Atlanta。　　All　the　sick　and　wounded　men　had　been　sent　back　by　rail　to　Chattanooga；　all　our　wagon…trains　had　been　carefully　overhauled　and　loaded；　so　as　to　be　ready　to　start　on　an　hour's　notice；　and　there　was　no　serious　enemy　in　our　front。
  General　Hood　remained　still　at　Florence；　Alabama；　occupying　both　banks　of　the　Tennessee　River；　busy　in　collecting　shoes　and　clothing　for　his　men；　and　the　necessary　ammunition　and　stores　with　which　to　invade　Tennessee；　most　of　which　had　to　come　from　Mobile；　Selma；　and　Montgomery；　Alabama；　over　railroads　that　were　still　broken。　Beauregard　was　at　Corinth；　hastening　forward　these　necessary　preparations。
  General　Thomas　was　at　Nashville；　with　Wilson's　dismounted　cavalry　and　a　mass　of　new　troops　and　quartermaster's　employs　amply　sufficient　to　defend　the　place。　　The　Fourth　and　Twenty…third　Corps；　under　Generals　Stanley　and　Schofield　were　posted　at　Pulaski；　Tennessee；　and　the　cavalry　of　Hatch；　Croxton；　and　Capron；　were　about　Florence；　watching　Hood。　　Smith's　（A。　J。）　two　divisions　of　the　Sixteenth　Corps　were　still　in　Missouri；　but　were　reported　as　ready　to　embark　at　Lexington　for　the　Cumberland　River　and　Nashville。　　Of　course；　General　Thomas　saw　that　on　him　would　likely　fall　the　real　blow；　and　was　naturally　anxious。　　He　still　kept　Granger's　division　at　Decatur；　Rousseau's　at　Murfreesboro'；　and　Steedman's　at　Chattanooga；　with　strong　railroad　guards　at　all　the　essential　points　intermediate；　confident　that　by　means　of　this　very　railroad　he　could　make　his　concentration　sooner　than　Hood　could　possibly　march　up　from　Florence。
  Meantime；　General　F。　P。　Blair　had　rejoined　his　corps　（Seventeenth）；　and　we　were　receiving　at　Kingston　recruits　and　returned　furlough…　men；　distributing　them　to　their　proper　companies。　　Paymasters　had　come　down　to　pay　off　our　men　before　their　departure　to　a　new　sphere　of　action；　and　commissioners　were　also　on　hand　from　the　several　States　to　take　the　vote　of　our　men　in　the　presidential　election　then　agitating　the　c