gives me a clear and distinct view of the situation of affairs at Nashville up to that date. I have also from the War Department a copy of General Thomas' dispatch, giving account of the attack on Hood on the 15th, which was successful, but not complete. I await further accounts with anxiety, as Thomas' complete success is necessary to vindicate my plans for his campaign; and I have no doubt that my calculations that Thomas had in had (including A. J. Smith's troops) a force large enough to whip Hood in a fair fight was correct. I approve of Thomas' allowing Hood to come north far enough to enable him to concentrate his own men, though I would have preferred that Hood should have been checked about Columbia. Still, if Thomas followed up his success of the 15th and gave Hood a good whaling, and is at this moment following him closely, the whole campaign in my division will be even more perfect than the Atlanta campaign; for at this end of the line I have realized all I had reason to hope for, except in the release of our prisoners, which was simply an impossibility. I know you all must await with deep anxiety the full details of the movements of my immediately command, and in time I will give them with full official minutia; and, in order that you may answer all inquiries, I will now endeavor to give you a brief outline.

On the 10th of November I was at Kingston, and having sent to Thomas at Nashville the Fourth and Twenty-third Corps, learned that A. J. Smith had reached Paducah with his two divisions; and, having also learned from General Thomas that he felt perfectly able to contend with Hood, them lying about Florence and Tuscumbia, I gave the final signal to begin the work. Corse, at Rome, burned the bridges and all property that could be used by an enemy to our disadvantage and marched to Kingston.

On the 12th we moved to Allatoona, leaving the railroad north of the Etowah untouched, on the theory that in a very short while it would be to our interest to reoccupy the country as far as the Etowah. On the 13th, 14th, and 15th we broke up the railroad from the Etowah to Atlanta, and by the night of the 15th, the whole army was in or around Atlanta, ready for the forward movement. Marietta, Cassville, and Atlanta are destroyed in all respect, save more dwelling houses, and cannot be used to our prejudice for three years. On the 16th all our columns were in motion. Howard, with the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, moved southeast, by Jonesborough and McDonough, in the direction of Forsyth, crossing the Ocmulgee at Planters' Mills, or the Seven Island; thence by Clinton to Gordon the first objective point. He met with no opposition whatever, and reached it on the seventh day, the one appointed. In the meantime Kilpatrick, leaving Atlanta when Howard did, swept round by Griffin and Forsyth, and made a feint on Macon, at that point driving the rebels inside their works and recapturing two rifled guns, with equipments complete, taken by them from Stoneman last summer. He then came up with Howard at Gordon, covering his rear. Howard broke up the railroad a short distance west of Gordon (ten or fifteen miles); and while doing this posted Walcutt's brigade at Griswoldville, on the railroad, with a regiment of cavalry on either flank. The enemy sent out three brigades from Macon and attacked this force on the 22nd of November, but were repulsed and severely punished. We buried 300 on their dead on te total rebel loss is stated at over 1,000, while our loss was less than 100 killed, wounded, and missing. The Left Wing, under Slocum, moved out from Atlanta to Decatur and along the Georgia railroad, destroying it as far as Madison also