of the Cumberland; that my objective point would be Selma or Montgomery, including the capture of Mobile or not, as I might deem best. I was also advised by General Thomas that he would co-operate with a cavalry force. The force sent from the Army of the Cumberland consisted of the infantry divisions under the command of Major General A. J. Smith and the cavalry division of Brigadier-General Knipe, and the whole force, considerably augmented by withdrawing from interior and garrison service as many troops as could safely be spared, was organized as follows:

Thirteenth Army Corps, Major-General Granger ............. 18,000

Sixteenth Army Corps, Major General A. J. Smith .............. 16,000

Colored Division, Brigadier-General Hawkins .............. 5,500

Cavalry Brigade, Brigadier-General Lucas ................. 2,500

Engineer Brigade, Brigadier-General Bailey ............... 1,500

Siege Train, Colonel Hays ................................ 1,200

Total effective .......................................... 45,200

The cavalry force of the division, as well as that sent by General Thomas, was so much reduced by the hard work of the previous three months that only 2,500 were found to be fit for immediate service, and Major-General Grierson was left at New Orleans to prepare, by substitutions and remounts, as large an additional force as possible. This amounted to 4,500 men, making the total force employed in the campaign a little less than 50,000. The unexampled severity of the season had rendered all the land routes absolutely impracticable and the transportation by water so tedious and dangerous that it was not until the middle of March that the force intended for the immediate operation against Mobile and its material was collected at or in immediate route to the designated points of rendezvous. It was then disposed as follows:

The Union army at Mobile Point and Dauphin Island was

composed of the Thirteenth Army Corps (two divisions

and one brigade) ...................................... 13,200

The Sixteenth Army Corps .............................. 16,000

Engineers, artillery, and cavalry scouts and escorts .. 3,000

Total ................................................. 32,200

Under Steele at Pensacola:

Two brigades of C. C. Andrews' division, Thirteenth Corps

......................................................... 5,200

Hawkins' division, colored infantry ..................... 5,500

Lucas' cavalry .......................................... 2,500

Total ...................................................13,200

Arrangements had previously been made with the commanders of the Mississippi and Gulf Squadrons for efficient aid in transporting and conveying troops and supplies and covering the operations of the army by water, and especially with the commander of the Mississippi Squadron for an efficient co-operation in preventing the rebel force west of the Mississippi River from crossing in any organized or considerable force. Such precautions had also been taken for the security of the points which had been weakened by the withdrawal of troops as to relieve me from the apprehension of any serious disaster during the campaign. The general plan of operations embraced the reduction of the enemy's works on the east side of Mobile Bay, the opening of the Tensas and Alabama Rivers, turning the strong works erected for the defense of Mobile, and forcing the surrender or evacuation of the city; or if this was found to involve too great a delay, a direct movement upon Montgomery, shifting for the subsequent operations of the army