Of　the　practicability　of　doing　this；　General　Stoneman　will　have　to　be　the　judge；　making　up　his　mind　from　information　obtained　while　executing　the　first　part　of　his　instructions。　　Sherman's　movements　will　attract　the　attention　of　all　the　force　the　enemy　can　collect；　thus　facilitating　the　execution　of　this。
  Three　thousand　cavalry　would　be　a　sufficient　force　to　take。　　This　probably　can　be　raised　in　the　old　Department　of　the　Ohio；　without　taking　any　now　under　General　Wilson。　　It　would　require；　though；　the　reorganization　of　the　two　regiments　of　Kentucky　Cavalry；　which　Stoneman　had　in　his　very　successful　raid　into　Southwestern　Virginia。
  It　will　be　necessary；　probably；　for　you　to　send；　in　addition　to　the　force　now　in　East　Tennessee；　a　small　division　of　infantry；　to　enable　General　Gillem　to　hold　the　upper　end　of　Holston　Valley；　and　the　mountain…passes　in　rear　of　Stevenson。
  You　may　order　such　an　expedition。　　To　save　time；　I　will　send　a　copy　of　this　to　General　Stoneman；　so　that　he　can　begin　his　preparations　without　loss　of　time；　and　can　commence　his　correspondence　with　you　as　to　these　preparations。
  As　this　expedition　goes　to　destroy　and　not　to　fight　battles；　but　to　avoid　them　when　practicable；　particularly　against　any　thing　like　equal　forces；　or　where　a　great　object　is　to　be　gained；　it　should　go　as　light　as　possible。　　Stoneman's　experience；　in　raiding　will　teach　him　in　this　matter　better　than　he　can　be　directed。
  Let　there　be　no　delay　in　the　preparations　for　this　expedition；　and　keep　me　advised　of　its　progress。　　Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　January　81；　1865。
  Major…General　J。　M。　SCHOFIELD；　commanding　army　of　the　Ohio。
  GENERAL：　I　have　requested　by　telegraph　that；　for　present　purposes；　North　Carolina　be　erected　into　a　department；　and　that　you　be　placed　in　command　of　it；　subject　to　Major…General　Sherman's　orders。　　Of　course；　you　will　receive　orders　from　me　direct　until　such　time　as　General　Sherman　gets　within　communicating　distance　of　you。　　This　obviates　the　necessity　of　my　publishing　the　order　which　I　informed　you　would　meet　you　at　Fortress　Monroe。　　If　the　order　referred　to　should　not　be　published　from　the　Adjutant…General's　office；　you　will　read　these　instructions　as　your　authority　to　assume　command　of　all　the　troops　in　North　Carolina；　dating　all　official　communications；　〃Headquarters　Army　of　the　Ohio。〃　　Your　headquarters　will　be　in　the　field；　and　with　the　portion　of　the　army　where　you　feel　yourself　most　needed。　　In　the　first　move　you　will　go　to　Cape　Fear　River。
  Your　movements　are　intended　as　cooperative　with　Sherman's　movement　through　the　States　of　South　and　North　Carolina。　　The　first　point　to　be　obtained　is　to　secure　Wilmington。　　Goldsboro'　will　then　be　your　objective　point；　moving　either　from　Wilmington　or　Newbern；　or　both；　as　you　may　deem　best。　Should　you　not　be　able　to　reach　Goldsboro'；　you　will　advance　on　the　line　or　lines　of　railway　connecting　that　place　with　the　sea…coast；　as　near　to　it　as　you　can；　building　the　road　behind　you。　　The　enterprise　under　you　has　two　objects：　the　first　is；　to　give　General　Sherman　material　aid；　if　needed；　in　his　march　north；　the　second；　to　open　a　base　of　supplies　for　him　on　the　line　of　his　march。　　As　soon；　therefore；　as　you　can　determine　which　of　the　two　points；　Wilmington　or　Newbern；　you　can　best　use　for　throwing　supplies　from　to　the　interior；　you　will　commence　the　accumulation　of　twenty　days　rations　and　forage　for　sixty　thousand　men　and　twenty　thousand　animals。　　You　will　get　of　these　as　many　as　you　can　house　and　protect；　to　such　point　in　the　interior　as　you　may　be　able　to　occupy。
  I　believe　General　Innis　N。　Palmer　has　received　some　instructions　directly　from　General　Sherman；　on　the　subject　of　securing　supplies　for　his　army。　　You　can　learn　what　steps　he　has　taken；　and　be　governed　in　your　requisitions　accordingly。　　A　supply　of　ordnance…　stores　will　also　be　necessary。
  Make　all　your　requisitions　upon　the　chiefs　of　their　respective　departments；　in　the　field；　with　me　at　City　Point。　　Communicate　with　me　by　every　opportunity；　and；　should　you　deem　it　necessary　at　any　time；　send　a　special　boat　to　Fortress　Monroe；　from　which　point　you　can　communicate　by　telegraph。
  The　supplies　referred　to　in　these　instructions　are　exclusive　of　those　required　by　your　own　command。
  The　movements　of　the　enemy　may　justify　you；　or　even　make　it　your　imperative　duty；　to　cut　loose　from　your　base　and　strike　for　the　interior；　to　aid　Sherman。　　In　such　case　you　will　act　on　your　own　judgment；　without　waiting　for　instructions。　　You　will　report；　however；　what　you　propose　doing。　　The　details　for　carrying　out　these　instructions　are　necessarily　left　to　you。　　I　would　urge；　however；　if　I　did　not　know　that　you　are　already　fully　alive　to　the　importance　of　it；　prompt　action。　　Sherman　may　be　looked　for　in　the　neighborhood　of　Goldsboro'　any　time　from　the　22d　to　the　28th　of　February。　　This　limits　your　time　very　materially。
  If　rolling…stock　is　not　secured　in　the　capture　of　Wilmington；　it　can　be　supplied　from　Washington：　A　large　force　of　railroad…men　has　already　been　sent　to　Beaufort；　and　other　mechanics　will　go　to　Fort　Fisher　in　a　day　or　two。　　On　this　point　I　have　informed　you　by　telegraph。
  Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　March　16；　1865。
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　military　Division　of　the　Mississippi。
  GENERAL：　Your　interesting　letter　of　the　12th　inst；　is　just　received。　　I　have　never　felt　any　uneasiness　for　your　safety；　but　I　have　felt　great　anxiety　to　know　just　how　you　were　progressing。　　I　knew；　or　thought　I　did；　that；　with　the　magnificent　army　with　you；　you　would　come　out　safely　somewhere。
  To　secure　certain　success；　I　deemed　the　capture　of　Wilmington　of　the　greatest　importance。　　Butler　came　near　losing　that　prize　to　us。　But　Terry　and　Schofield　have　since　retrieved　his　blunders；　and　I　do　not　know　but　the　first　failure　has　been　as　valuable　a　success　for　the　country　as　the　capture　of　Fort　Fisher。　　Butler　may　not　see　it　in　that　light。
  Ever　since　you　started　on　the　last　campaign；　and　before；　I　have　been　attempting　to　get　something　done　in　the　West；　both　to　cooperate　with　you　and　to　take　advantage　of　the　enemy's　weakness　thereto　accomplish　results　favorable　to　us。　　Knowing　Thomas　to　be　slow　beyond　excuse；　I　depleted　his　army　to　reinforce　Canby；　so　that　he　might　act　from　Mobile　Bay　on　the　interior。　　With　all　I　have　said；　he　has　not　moved　at　last　advices。　　Canby　was　sending　a　cavalry　force；　of　about　seven　thousand；　from　Vicksburg　toward　Selma。　　I　ordered　Thomas　to　send　Wilson　from　Eastport　toward　the　same　point；　and　to　get　him　off　as　soon　after　the　20th　of　February　as　possible。　　He　telegraphed　me　that　he　would　be　off　by　that　date。　He　has　not　yet　started；　or　had　not　at　last　advices。　　I　ordered　him　to　send　Stoneman　from　East　Tennessee　into　Northwest　South　Carolina；　to　be　there　about　the　time　you　would　reach　Columbia。　　He　would　either　have　drawn　off　the　enemy's　cavalry　from　you；　or　would　have　succeeded　in　destroying　railroads；　supplies；　and　other　material；　which　you　could　not　reach。　　At　that　time　the　Richmond　papers　were　full　of　the　accounts　of　your　movements；　and　gave　daily　accounts　of　movements　in　West　North　Carolina。　　I　supposed　all　the　time　it　was　Stoneman。　　You　may　judge　my　surprise　when　I　afterward　learned　that　Stoneman　was　still　in　Louisville；　Kentucky；　and　that　the　troops　in　North　Carolina　were　Kirk's　forces！　　In　order　that　Stoneman　might　get　off　without　delay；　I　told　Thomas　that　three　thousand　men　would　be　sufficient　for　him　to　take。　　In　the　mean　time　I　had　directed　Sheridan　to　get　his　cavalry　ready；　and；　as　soon　as　the　snow　in　the　mountains　melted　sufficiently；　to　start　for　Staunton；　and　go　on　and　destroy　the　Virginia　Central　Railroad　and　canal。　　Time　advanced；　until　he　set　the　28th　of　February　for　starting。　　I　informed　Thomas；　and　directed　him　to　change　the　course　of　Stoneman　toward　Lynchburg；　to　destroy　the　road　in　Virginia　up　as　near　to　that　place　as　possible。　　Not　hearing　from　Thomas；　I　telegraphed　to　him　about　the　12th；　to　know　if　Stoneman　was　yet　off。　　He　replied　not；　but　that　he　（Thomas）　would　start　that　day　for　Knoxville；　to　get　him　off　as　soon　as　possible。
  Sheridan　has　made　his　raid；　and　with　splendid　success；　so　far　as　heard。　　I　am　looking　for　him　at　〃White　House〃　to…day。　　Since　about　the　20th　of　last　month　the　Richmond　papers　have　been　prohibited　from　publishing　accounts　of　army　movements。　　We　are　left　to　our　own　resources；　therefore；　for　information。　　You　will　see　from　the　papers　what　Sheridan　has　done；　if　you　do　not；　the　officer　who　bears　this　will　tell　you　all。
  Lee　has　depleted　his　army　but　very　little　recently；　and　I　learn　of　none　going　south。　　Some　regiments　may　have　been　detached；　but　I　think　no　division　or　brigade。　　The　determination　seems　to　be　to　hold　Richmond　as　long　as　possible。　　I　have　a　force　sufficient　to　leave　enough　to　hold　our　lines　（all　that　is　necessary　of　them）；　and　move　out　with　plenty　to　whip　his　whole　army。　　But　the　roads　are　entirely　impassable。　　Until　they　improve；　I　shall　content　myself　with　watching　Lee；　and　be　prepar