a hospital for the wounded of both sides, and left with the mayor an ample supply of stores to provide for all their wants. Early on the morning of the 17th he resumed his march toward Macon, passing through La Grange, Griffin, and Forsyth, and breaking the railroads at those places. He would have reached his destination by noon of the 20th but for delay caused by an order to wait for the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry, which had gone through Columbus. The afternoon of the 17th I directed Colonel Minty to resume the march with his division on the Thomaston road toward Macon, and to send a detachment forward that night to seize the Double Bridges over Flint River. Captain Van Antwerp, of my staff, accompanied this party. He speaks in the highest terms of the dash with which Captain Hudson, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, discharged the duties assigned him. By 7 a.m. next day he had reached the bridges, fifty-five miles from Columbus, scattered the parties defending them, and took forty prisoners. Before leaving Columbus General Winslow destroyed the rebel ram Jackson, nearly ready for sea, mounting six 7-inch guns, burned 15 locomotives, 250 cars, the railroad bridge and foot bridges, 115,000 bales of cotton, 4 cotton factories, the navy-yard, foundry, armory, sword and pistol factory, accouterment shops, 3 paper-mills, over 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, besides immense stores of which no account could be taken. The rebels abandoned and burned the gun-boat Chattahoochee twelve miles below Columbus. On the morning of the 18th the whole command resumed the march on the route pursued by the Second Division. On the evening of the 20th, when within twenty miles of Macon, the advanced guard, composed of the Seventeenth Indiana (mounted) Infantry, Colonel White commanding, encountered about 200 rebel cavalry on the road, but drove them rapidly back toward the city and saved the Echeconnee and Tobesofee bridges. Colonel White deserves great credit for the boldness and skill with which he conducted his command. When within thirteen miles of Macon he met a flag of truce in charge of Brigadier-General Robertson, of the rebel army, bearing a written communication addressed to the commanding officer U. S. forces. Colonel White halted the flag and his advance and sent the communication to Colonel Minty, commanding the division. After reading it Colonel Minty forwarded it to me, gave instructions to Colonel White to renew his advance, after waiting five minutes for the flag of truce to get out of the way, and sent a note to General Robertson informing him of his action. I received the communication at 6 p.m. nineteen miles from Macon, and upon examination found that it was a letter from General Howell Cobb, commanding the rebel forces at Macon. The following is a true copy of the original:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF TENNESSEE AND GEORGIA,
Macon, April 20, 1865.

COMMANDING GENERAL U. S. FORCES:

GENERAL: I have just received from General G. T. Beauregard, my immediate commander, a telegraphic dispatch of which the following is a copy:

"GREENSBOROUGH, April 19, 1865.

"(Via Columbia 19th, via Augusta 20th.)

"Major General H. COBB:

"Inform general commanding enemy's forces in your front that a truce for the purpose of a final settlement was agreed upon yesterday between Generals Johnston and Sherman, applicable to all forces under their commands. A message to that effect from General Sherman will be sent him as soon as practicable. The contending forces are to occupy their present position, forty-eight hours' notice being given on the event of resumption of hostilities.

"G. T. BEAUREGARD,

"General, Second in Command."