The　day　after　the　battle　of　Missionary　Ridge　I　was　ordered　in　the
  evening　to　return　to　Chattanooga；　and　from　the　limited　supply　of
  stores　to　be　had　there　outfit　my　command　to　march　to　the　relief　of
  Knoxville；　where　General　Burnside　was　still　holding　out　against　the
  besieging　forces　of　General　Longstreet。　　When　we　left　Murfreesboro'
  in　the　preceding　June；　the　men's　knapsacks　and　extra　clothing；　as
  well　as　all　our　camp　equipage；　had　been　left　behind；　and　these
  articles　had　not　yet　reached　us；　so　we　were　poorly　prepared　for　a
  winter　campaign　in　the　mountains　of　East　Tennessee。　　There　was　but
  little　clothing　to　be　obtained　in　Chattanooga；　and　my　command
  received　only　a　few　overcoats　and　a　small　supply　of　India…rubber
  ponchos。　　We　could　get　no　shoes；　although　we　stood　in　great　need　of
  them；　for　the　extra　pair　with　which　each　man　had　started　out　from
  Murfreesboro'　was　now　much　the　worse　for　wear。　　The　necessity　for
  succoring　Knoxville　was　urgent；　however；　so　we　speedily　refitted　as
  thoroughly　as　was　possible　with　the　limited　means　at　hand。　　My
  division　teams　were　in　very　fair　condition　in　consequence　of　the
  forage　we　had　procured　in　the　Sequatchie　Valley；　so　I　left　the　train
  behind　to　bring　up　clothing　when　any　should　arrive　in　Chattanooga。
  Under　these　circumstances；　on　the　29th　of　November　the　Fourth　Corps
  （Granger's）　took　up　the　line　of　march　for　Knoxville；　my　men　carrying
  in　their　haversacks　four　days'　rations；　depending　for　a　further
  supply　of　food　on　a　small　steamboat　loaded　with　subsistence　stores；
  which　was　to　proceed　up　the　Tennessee　River　and　keep　abreast　of　the
  column。
  Not　far　from　Philadelphia；　Tennessee；　the　columns　of　General
  Sherman's　army；　which　had　kept　a　greater　distance　from　the　river　than
  Granger's　corps；　so　as　to　be　able　to　subsist　on　the　country；　came　in
  toward　our　right　and　the　whole　relieving　force　was　directed　on
  Marysville；　about　fifteen　miles　southwest　of　Knoxville。　　We　got　to
  Marysville　December　5；　and　learned　the　same　day　that　Longstreet　had
  shortly　before　attempted　to　take　Knoxville　by　a　desperate　assault；
  but　signally　failing；　had　raised　the　siege　and　retired　toward　Bean's
  Station　on　the　Rutledge；　Rogersville；　and　Bristol　road；　leading　to
  Virginia。　　From　Marysville　General　Sherman's　troops　returned　to
  Chattanooga；　while　Granger's　corps　continued　on　toward　Knoxville；　to
  take　part　in　the　pursuit　of　Longstreet。
  Burnside's　army　was　deficient　in　subsistence；　though　not　to　the
  extent　that　we　had　supposed　before　leaving　Chattanooga。　　It　had　eaten
  out　the　country　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　Knoxville；　however；
  therefore　my　division　did　not　cross　the　Holstein　River；　but　was
  required；　in　order　to　maintain　itself；　to　proceed　to　the　region　of
  the　French　Broad　River。　　To　this　end　I　moved　to　Sevierville；　and
  making　this　village　my　headquarters；　the　division　was　spread　out　over
  the　French　Broad　country；　between　Big　Pigeon　and　Little　Pigeon
  rivers；　where　we　soon　had　all　the　mills　in　operation；　grinding　out
  plenty　of　flour　and　meal。　　The　whole　region　was　rich　in　provender　of
  all　kinds；　and　as　the　people　with　rare　exceptions　were
  enthusiastically　loyal；　we　in　a　little　while　got　more　than　enough
  food　for　ourselves；　and　by　means　of　flatboats　began　sending　the
  surplus　down　the　river　to　the　troops　at　Knoxville。
  The　intense　loyalty　of　this　part　of　Tennessee　exceeded　that　of　any
  other　section　I　was　in　during　the　war。　　The　people　could　not　do　too
  much　to　aid　the　Union　cause；　and　brought　us　an　abundance　of
  everything　needful。　　The　women　were　especially　loyal；　and　as　many　of
  their　sons　and　husbands；　who　had　been　compelled　to　〃refugee〃　on
  account　of　their　loyal　sentiments；　returned　with　us；　numbers　of　the
  women　went　into　ecstasies　of　joy　when　this　part　of　the　Union　army
  appeared　among　them。　　So　long　as　we　remained　in　the　French　Broad
  region；　we　lived　on　the　fat　of　the　land；　but　unluckily　our　stay　was
  to　be　of　short　duration；　for　Longstreet's　activity　kept　the
  department　commander　in　a　state　of　constant　alarm。
  Soon　after　getting　the　mills　well　running；　and　when　the　shipment　of
  their　surplus　product　down　the　river　by　flatboats　had　begun；　I　was
  ordered　to　move　to　Knoxville；　on　account　of　demonstrations　by
  Longstreet　from　the　direction　of　Blain's　crossroads。　　On　arriving　at
  Knoxville；　an　inspection　of　my　command；　showed　that　the　shoes　of　many
  of　the　men　were　entirely　worn　out；　the　poor　fellows　having　been
  obliged　to　protect　their　feet　with　a　sort　of　moccasin；　made　from
  their　blankets　or　from　such　other　material　as　they　could　procure。
  About　six　hundred　of　the　command　were　in　this　condition；　plainly　not
  suitably　shod　to　withstand　the　frequent　storms　of　sleet　and　snow。
  These　men　I　left　in　Knoxville　to　await　the　arrival　of　my　train；　which
  I　now　learned　was　en　route　from　Chattanooga　with　shoes；　overcoats；
  and　other　clothing；　and　with　the　rest　of　the　division　proceeded　to
  Strawberry　Plains；　which　we　reached　the　latter　part　of　December。
  Mid…winter　was　now　upon　us；　and　the　weather　in　this　mountain　region
  of　East　Tennessee　was　very　cold；　snow　often　falling　to　the　depth　of
  several　inches。　　The　thin　and　scanty　clothing　of　the　men　afforded
  little　protection；　and　while　in　bivouac　their　only　shelter　was　the
  ponchos　with　which　they　had　been　provided　before　leaving　Chattanooga；
  there　was　not　a　tent　in　the　command。　　Hence　great　suffering　resulted；
  which　I　anxiously　hoped　would　be　relieved　shortly　by　the　arrival　of
  my　train　with　supplies。　　In　the　course　of　time　the　wagons　reached
  Knoxville；　but　my　troops　derived　little　comfort　from　this　fact；　for
  the　train　was　stopped　by　General　Foster；　who　had　succeeded　Burnside
  in　command　of　the　department；　its　contents　distributed　pro　rata　to
  the　different　organizations　of　the　entire　army；　and　I　received　but　a
  small　share。　　This　was　very　disappointing；　not　to　say　exasperating；
  but　I　could　not　complain　of　unfairness；　for　every　command　in　the　army
  was　suffering　to　the　same　extent　as　mine；　and　yet　it　did　seem　that　a
  little　forethought　and　exertion　on　the　part　of　some　of　the　other
  superior　officers；　whose　transportation　was　in　tolerable　condition；
  might　have　ameliorated　the　situation　considerably。　　I　sent　the　train
  back　at　once　for　more　clothing；　and　on　its　return；　just　before
  reaching　Knoxville；　the　quartermaster　in　charge；　Captain　Philip
  Smith；　filled　the　open　spaces　in　the　wagons　between　the　bows　and　load
  with　fodder　and　hay；　and　by　this　clever　stratagem　passed　it　through
  the　town　safe　and　undisturbed　as　a　forage　train。　　On　Smith's　arrival
  we　lost　no　time　in　issuing　the　clothing；　and　when　it　had　passed　into
  the　hands　of　the　individual　soldiers　the　danger　of　its　appropriation
  for　general　distribution；　like　the　preceding　invoice；　was　very
  remote。
  General　Foster　had　decided　by　this　time　to　move　his　troops　to
  Dandridge　for　the　twofold　purpose　of　threatening　the　enemy's　left　and
  of　getting　into　a　locality　where　we　could　again　gather　subsistence
  from　the　French　Broad　region。　　Accordingly　we　began　an　advance　on　the
  15th　of　January；　the　cavalry　having　preceded　us　some　time　before。
  The　Twenty…third　Corps　and　Wood's　division　of　the　Fourth　Corps
  crossed　the　Holstein　River　by　a　bridge　that　had　been　constructed　at
  Strawberry　Plains。　　My　division　being　higher　up　the　stream；　forded
  it；　the　water　very　deep　and　bitter　cold；　being　filled　with　slushy
  ice。　　Marching　by　way　of　New　Market；　I　reached　Dandridge　on　the　17th；
  and　here　on　my　arrival　met　General　Sturgis；　then　commanding　our
  cavalry。　　He　was　on　the　eve　of　setting　out　to；　〃whip　the　enemy's
  cavalry；〃　as　he　said；　and　wanted　me　to　go　along　and　see　him　do　it。　　I
  declined；　however；　for　being　now　the　senior　officer　present；　Foster；
  Parke；　and　Granger　having　remained　at　Knoxville　and　Strawberry
  Plains；　their　absence　left　me　in　command；　and　it　was　necessary　that　I
  should　make　disposition　of　the　infantry　when　it　arrived。　　As　there
  were　indications　of　a　considerable　force　of　the　enemy　on　the
  Russellville　road　I　decided　to　place　the　troops　in　line　of　battle；　so
  as　to　be　prepared　for　any　emergency　that　might　arise　in　the　absence
  of　the　senior　officers；　and　I　deemed　it　prudent　to　supervise
  personally　the　encamping　of　the　men。　　This　disposition　necessarily
  required　that　some　of　the　organizations　should　occupy　very
  disagreeable　ground；　but　I　soon　got　all　satisfactorily　posted　with
  the　exception　of　General　Willich；　who　expressed　some　discontent　at
  being　placed　beyond　the　shelter　of　the　timber；　but　accepted　the
  situation　cheerfully　when　its　obvious　necessity　was　pointed　out　to
  him。
  Feeling　that　all　was　secure；　I　returned　to　my　headquarters　in　the
  village　with　the　idea　that　we　were　safely　established　in　ease　of
  attack；　and　that　the　men　would　now　have　a　good　rest　if　left
  undisturbed；　and　plenty　to　eat；　but　hardly　had　I　reached　my　own　camp
  when　a　staff…officer　came　post…haste　from　Sturgis　with　the
  information　that　he　was　being　driven　back　to　my　lines；　despite　the
  confid