when　a　staff…officer　came　post…haste　from　Sturgis　with　the
  information　that　he　was　being　driven　back　to　my　lines；　despite　the
  confident　invitation　to　me　（in　the　morning）　to　go　out　and　witness　the
  whipping　which　was　to　be　given　to　the　enemy's　cavalry。　　Riding　to　the
  front；　I　readily　perceived　that　the　information　was　correct；　and　I
  had　to　send　a　brigade　of　infantry　out　to　help　Sturgis；　thus　relieving
  him　from　a　rather　serious　predicament。　　Indeed；　the　enemy　was　present
  in　pretty　strong　force；　both　cavalry　and　infantry；　and　from　his
  vicious　attack　on　Sturgis　it　looked　very　much　as　though　he　intended
  to　bring　on　a　general　engagement。
  Under　such　circumstances　I　deemed　it　advisable　that　the　responsible
  commanders　of　the　army　should　be　present；　and　so　informed　them。　　My
  communication　brought　Parke　and　Granger　to　the　front　without　delay；
  but　Foster　could　not　come；　since　the　hardships　of　the　winter　had
  reopened　an　old　wound　received　during　the　Mexican　War；　and　brought　on
  much　suffering。　　By　the　time　Parke　and　Granger　arrived；　however；　the
  enemy；　who　it　turned　out　was　only　making　a　strong　demonstration　to
  learn　the　object　of　our　movement　on　Dandridge；　seemed　satisfied　with
  the　results　of　his　reconnoissance；　and　began　falling　back　toward
  Bull's　Gap。　　Meanwhile　Parke　and　Granger　concluded　that　Dandridge　was
  an　untenable　point；　and　hence　decided　to　withdraw　a　part　of　the　army
  to　Strawberry　Plains；　and　the　question　of　supplies　again　coming　up；
  it　was　determined　to　send　the　Fourth　Corps　to　the　south　side　of　the
  French　Broad　to　obtain　subsistence；　provided　we　could　bridge　the
  river　so　that　men　could　get　across　the　deep　and　icy　stream　without
  suffering。
  I　agreed　to　undertake　the　construction　of　a　bridge　on　condition　that
  each　division　should　send　to　the　ford　twenty…five　wagons　with　which
  to　make　it。　　This　being　acceded　to；　Harker's　brigade　began　the　work
  next　morning　at　a　favorable　point　a　few　miles　down　the　river。　　As　my
  quota　of　wagons　arrived；　they　were　drawn　into　the　stream　one　after
  another　by　the　wheel　team；　six　men　in　each　wagon；　and　as　they
  successively　reach°d　the　other　side　of　the　channel　the　mules　were
  unhitched；　the　pole　of　each　wagon　run　under　thre　hind　axle　of　the　one
  just　in　front；　and　the　tailboards　used　so　as　to　span　the　slight　space
  between　them。　　The　plan　worked　well　as　long　as　the　material　lasted；
  but　no　other　wagons　than　my　twenty…five　coming　on　the　ground；　the
  work　stopped　when　the　bridge　was　only　half　constructed。　　Informed　of
  the　delay　and　its　cause；　in　sheer　desperation　I　finished　the　bridge
  by　taking　from　my　own　division　all　the　wagons　needed　to　make　up　the
  deficiency。
  It　was　late　in　the　afternoon　when　the　work　was　finished；　and　I　began
  putting　over　one　of　my　brigades；　but　in　the　midst　of　its　crossing
  word　came　that　Longstreet's　army　was　moving　to　attack　us；　which
  caused　an　abandonment　of　the　foraging　project；　and　orders　quickly
  followed　to　retire　to　Strawberry　Plains；　the　retrograde　movement　to
  begin　forthwith。　　I　sent　to　headquarters　information　of　the　plight　I
  was　inbaggage　and　supplies　on　the　bank　and　wagons　in　the　stream
  begged　to　know　what　was　to　become　of　them　if　we　were　to　hurry　off　at
  a　moment's　notice；　and　suggested　that　the　movement　be　delayed　until　I
  could　recover　my　transportation。　　Receiving　in　reply　no　assurances
  that　I　should　be　relieved　from　my　dilemmaand；　in　fact；　nothing
  satisfactoryI　determined　to　take　upon　myself　the　responsibility　of
  remaining　on　the　ground　long　enough　to　get　my　wagons　out　of　the
  river；　so　I　sent　out　a　heavy　force　to　watch　for　the　enemy；　and　with
  the　remainder　of　the　command　went　to　work　to　break　up　the　bridge。
  Before　daylight　next　morning　I　had　recovered　everything　without
  interference　by　Longstreet；　who；　it　was　afterward　ascertained；　was
  preparing　to　move　east　toward　Lynchburg　instead　of　marching　to　attack
  us；　the　small　demonstration　against　Dandridge；　being　made　simply　to
  deceive　us　as　to　his　ultimate　object。　　I　marched　to　Strawberry　Plains
  unmolested；　and　by　taking　the　route　over　Bay's　Mountain；　a　shorter
  one　than　that　followed　by　the　main　body　of　our　troops；　reached　the
  point　of　rendezvous　as　soon　as　the　most　of　the　army；　for　the　road　it
  followed　was　not　only　longer；　but　badly　cut　up　by　trains　that　had
  recently　passed　over　it。
  Shortly　after　getting　into　camp；　the　beef　contractor　came　in　and
  reported　that　a　detachment　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　had　captured　my
  herd　of　beef　cattle。　　This　caused　me　much　chagrin　at　first；　but　the
  commissary　of　my　division　soon　put　in　an　appearance；　and　assured　me
  that　the　loss　would　not　be　very　disastrous　to　us　nor　of　much　benefit
  to　the　enemy；　since　the　cattle　were　so　poor　and　weak　that　they　could
  not　be　driven　off。　　A　reconnoissance　in　force　verified　the
  Commissary's　statement。　　From　its　inability　to　travel；　the　herd；
  after　all　efforts　to　carry　it　off　had　proved　ineffectual；　had　been
  abandoned　by　its　captors。
  After　the　troops　from　Chattanooga　arrived　in　the　vicinity　of
  Knoxville　and　General　Sherman　had　returned　to　Chattanooga；　the
  operations　in　East　Tennessee　constituted　a　series　of　blunders；
  lasting　through　the　entire　winter；　a　state　of　affairs　doubtless　due；
  in　the　main；　to　the　fact　that　the　command　of　the　troops　was　so
  frequently　changed。　　Constant　shifting　of　responsibility　from　one　to
  another　ensued　from　the　date　that　General　Sherman；　after　assuring
  himself　that　Knoxville　was　safe；　devolved　the　command　on　Burnside。
  It　had　already　been　intimated　to　Burnside　that　he　was　to　be　relieved；
  and　in　consequence　he　was　inactive　and　apathetic；　confining　his
  operations　to　an　aimless　expedition　whose　advance　extended　only　as
  far　as　Blain's　crossroads；　whence　it　was　soon　withdrawn。　　Meanwhile
  General　Foster　had　superseded　Burnside；　but　physical　disabilities
  rendered　him　incapable　of　remaining　in　the　field；　and　then　the　chief
  authority　devolved　on　Parke。　　By　this　time　the　transmission　of　power
  seemed　almost　a　disease；　at　any　rate　it　was　catching；　so；　while　we
  were　en　route　to　Dandridge；　Parke　transferred　the　command　to　Granger。
  The　latter　next　unloaded　it　on　me；　and　there　is　no　telling　what　the
  final　outcome　would　have　been　had　I　not　entered　a　protest　against　a
  further　continuance　of　the　practice；　which　remonstrance　brought
  Granger　to　the　front　at　Dandridge。
  While　the　events　just　narrated　were　taking　place；　General　Grant　had
  made　a　visit　to　Knoxvilleabout　the　last　of　Decemberand　arranged
  to　open　the　railroad　between　there　and　Chattanooga；　with　a　view　to
  supplying　the　troops　in　East　Tennessee　by　rail　in　the　future；　instead
  of　through　Cumberland　Gap　by　a　tedious　line　of　wagon…trains。　　In
  pursuance　of　his　plan　the　railroad　had　already　been　opened　to　Loudon；
  but　here　much　delay　occurred　on　account　of　the　long　time　it　took　to
  rebuild　the　bridge　over　the　Tennessee。　　Therefore　supplies　were　still
  very　scarce；　and　as　our　animals　were　now　dying　in　numbers　from
  starvation；　and　the　men　were　still　on　short　allowance；　it　became
  necessary　that　some　of　the　troops　east　of　Knoxville　should　get　nearer
  to　their　depot；　and　also　be　in　a　position　to　take　part　in　the　coming
  Georgia　campaign；　or　render　assistance　to　General　Thomas；　should
  General　Johnston　（who　had　succeeded　in　command　of　the　Confederate
  army）　make　any　demonstration　against　Chattanooga。　　Hence　my　division
  was　ordered　to　take　station　at　Loudon；　Tennessee；　and　I　must　confess
  that　we　took　the　road　for　that　point　with　few　regrets；　for　a　general
  disgust　prevailed　regarding　our　useless　marches　during　the　winter。
  At　this　time　my　faithful　scout　Card　and　his　younger　brother　left　me；
  with　the　determination；　as　I　have　heretofore　related；　to　avenge　their
  brother's　death。　　No　persuasion　could　induce　Card　to　remain　longer；
  for　knowing　that　my　division's　next　operation　would　be　toward
  Atlanta；　and　being　ignorant　of　the　country　below　Dalton；。　　he
  recognized　and　insisted　that　his　services　would　then　become
  practically　valueless。
  At　Loudon；　where　we　arrived　January　27；　supplies　were　more　plentiful；
  and　as　our　tents　and　extra　clothing　reached　us　there　in　a　few　days；
  every　one　grew　contented　and　happy。　　Here　a　number　of　my　regiments；
  whose　terms　of　service　were　about　to　expire；　went　through　the　process
  of　〃veteranizing；〃　and；　notwithstanding　the　trials　and　hardships　of
  the　preceding　nine　months；　they　re…enlisted　almost　to　a　man。
  When　everything　was　set　in　motion　toward　recuperating　and　refitting
  my　troops；　I　availed　myself　of　the　opportunity　during　a　lull　that
  then　existed　to　take　a　short　leave　of　absencea　privilege　I　had　not
  indulged　in　since　entering　the　service　in　1853。　　This　leave　I　spent
  in　the　North　with　much　benefit　to　my　physical　condition；　for　I　was
  much　run　down　by　fatiguing　service；　and　not　a　little　troubled　by
  intense　pain　which　I　at　times　still　suffered　from　my　experience　in
  the　unfortunate　hand…car　incident　on　the　Cumberland　Mountains　the
  previous　July。　　I　returned　from　leave　the　latter　part　o