, 1864-04-14

l.
ard fase tbs Ecs1 productive pars g soar 7o.s=s-
t:utt- Every arr11r:csnt nj is nav L ate so taF,T
ste:n.lz lqrec eer9es Tue river, 3r1 a: :ad bsloT
it ar,svcs, Thomas will attack en- l.ss let "A. tae
same time. and toseth.r !; is cSpst::a 10 ea:tz
MjsF;on Ridge, and from there pusa f"1cc % 10
viii At 4e sumo time astacl and il he cas carry
Lccl;t Ut Mountain The enemy now seems to he
locking ter an Ht1scs: on bis ie1 n:cE. !9i. a7o:a
lie. 70 futth.r confirm this, sher,naa's advance
Tfcltop. The remainder Of his force VII 4 sor1r
new road just made iron, Whitcsidcs 10 hel'y's
iefly, this being concealed roa1 ti.r eLe,l;, and
lave bin totuppose the w,tole tosce Is going up
Lockout Valley. Sherlncn's ajyaIcc LIS cali ja-t
reacted D:.dsepcrt. TIE re2g Eil only reach tGe:c
On Re 1eth 1'hls riA bring it to the 19th - ne
as dcfired. Inform me II you think you can s1s-
ta'n 5eurself until that time. eau hary conceive
Ct re enemy treaking through at Kingston. and
ntW problem would be lott for: so,uuon. .Thom.4
has otIcrcd division Of cavalry to the vicinity Of
Sparta. ! viz ascsrtain II they have started, and
Inform you. It will be entirely ont Of tho question
to send yon ten thousand men; nos because tbcT
they got one day 1tom here. 80 81,
To Major General 4. E. Burnside
On the 10Th, huying received from the Gen
eral-in. chiet q dispatch OF date the 14th, In
reference to Bnrnside's position, the danger
u ulb auAnuunWtut VI List ltHuestEe ul1ta6
Immediate rcliefwas afforded, and the terri
ble. misfortune such result would be to our
arms, and also dispatches from Mr.. c.: 4.
Dana, Assistant Secretary OF War, ard Col
Wileop, Of my staff, sent at the instance Of
General Burnside, informing me more fully
Of the condition ot affairs US detailed to them
by lin, photographed him as follows:
-. "CnATTAsooaA, Nov. Is, 1859. .
" do not know how 10 iulprcss On goa the nc
cess.ty OF holding on to East Tennessee In stsong
enough terms;. according to the Dispatches of H.
ihad pesse 1 to nod nes
possess, holding to that point, shontd Lonsalre:t
IN eiiort sho1ld be made to cat his ponsoons On
that It ean erea fit eacriLced hall the carily Of
Tic Ohio army. b{ holdins o., and placing Long
be should not be allowed to escape with an army
capable Of doing any thing this winter. can
hardly conceive the necessity Of relreating IRON
losing mcst Of the army, and then the necessity
wou,8 suggest the route. will not attempt to iaJ
ont q line Of retreat. Kingston, looking at the
ap poipt IN % Eat Tcnnessee Iut ny attetion saias
called mere closely 10 f., car see that 1t might be
iaased By, and Knoxville md the raca valley about
It posseesed, 1suoriuE that place entirely. /
Should not think it advisable to concentrate force
near Little Tennessee to reelst the crossing If it
would be in danger OF capture, hut would harass
and embagfass progress in every Wav possible, re-
fecins Oh the fact that the army Of tie Ohio iiuot
tue only army to resist tse onward PROGRESS Of the
ETo MINOR General 4. 8. Bonssl1s.'' 15S' s'''
Previous reconnoissances, made first by
Brlsadier General ". F. Smith, Chief Enyi.
ncer, and afterwards By Generals Thomas,
Sherman and myself, in company With him,
Of the country opposite Chattanoog, and
north OF the Tennessee River, extending US
far cast rs the mouth OF the South Chlcka~
mauga and the north end Of Mission Ridge, SO
hSav, s4af fr,y + tAsh1
bank OF the river, without exciting suspicious
on The TART Of the enemy, showed good roads
from Browns Ferry up the river und back OF
the first range OF hills opposite Chattanooga,
and ont Of view Of the enemyfs positions.
Troops crossing the bridge at Browns Ferry
could be seen and their numbers estimated by
tie enemy, but not seeing anything further
of them as they passed up in rear Of these
Lills, he wor1d necessarily be at q loss to
know whether they were moving to Knox
Vile or held on the north side OF the river for
| future operations nt Chattanooga. 1t also
| showed that the north end Of Mission Ridge
IVES lmperfectly guarded, and that the banks
| Of the river, from tue mouth OF South Chick
amarga Greek, westward to lis u,ain line In
| front OF Chattanooga, were watched only By
emull cavalry picket This determined the
| plan Of operations indicated in my dispatch
| Ct the 14th to Burnside.
Upon furthcr conEideratfon-the great oh.
icct being to mnss. all the forces possible
against one giren point, namely, Missouri
Ridge, Converting toward tue North end o.
tit was Gcemed best to change the origi
/ nal plan, 60 far as II contemplated Hooker
/ attgck on Lookout Mountafn, which woult
give us HoWard's corps Of his command te
lcr.7g instructions were given Thomas
AN preparations should be ,nnlc for attack
ing TIC eucmy's position on Mission hidge
BY Saturday at daylight Not being, prorid
Cd with maps giving nanea Of roads, spur
of the monntain,. and other places, such def
mite instructions can rot be given as nigh
be desirable. However, the general pfan J OF
understand, Is for SheI1uan, with the force
brought II it'll him, strengthened By d division
from your command, to effect crossing 0
tie Tennessee River just below tile mouth
Of C1icka1Eaugn-hls crossing to be protect
bunk Of tho river ito he1ocaied by your Chic
of a1tilieIy,) and to Gcc1rc the heights from
the northern extremity to about the railruat
tunnel. before the enemy can concentrat
! sgninst him. You will cooperate viii
Sherman The troops in Chattanooga Val
icy should be we'll Concentrated on yonr lef
flank, leaving only the necessary force to de
fcnd the Notifications on the right and centc.
j. and d movable column OF one division Il
, readiness to move wherever ordered. fh1
division should show Itself as thrcateuingl
; rs possible, on the most practicable line 70
, making m attack up the valley. Your efTor
then will be to form 4 junction with Shei
mnp, making your hdynpcc well toward til
northern end OF Mission Ridge, and movln
, as pcar simultaneously with him lis possible
The Junction once fosnta, anl the ridge cas
r ricl, communications Will be at once cstat
llsled between tle two armies, By roads o.
tic south bunk Of the river. Further move
.. .ueuts will then depend OF those Of tue ene
my. Lockout Valley; think, will be castl
, heid by Gear5's division, and What troop
you mas still hare then belonging to the Of
; ). Army Of the Cumberland. lo~ard's corp
can then be held In readiness to act eithe
!! with yon at Chnttanooga or with Shermaf
! j 1t should be marched on Friday night to
position on the north side of tho river, nc
lower down than the first pontoon brldg'
, and tben held In readiness for such orders
! be provided with two days cooked rations,
~ baversacka, and one hundred rounds Of au
! nuDltion on the person Of each Infantry SO
!, dier. Special care should be. taken by q
. officers to see that ammunition is not waste
: or unnecessarily fired nway. You will ca
: Cd the EnginetEx Department for snch prep
p 1ations as you nat deem necessary for carr!
! iuv your infantry and artillery over the creet
~ u. 3 GRANT, Major General.
: TO Maj. Gen Geo. Il. Thomas
4 copy OF these Instructions was furaisic
Sherman, with the following communic
!, ton:
Enclosed herewith send sou copy OF iqstra
, !. tons to Major General Thomse.: Yon, haSfr
:, teen over the groEnd II person, and haStn. hsa
+, the whole matter discussed. further instruction
will rot be necessary for Jon. It ts particular
desirable that force should be got through to Il
= rsilroad between Cleveland and Dalton, and Lon
r errcct thus cut OF from commanication with q
Sauth; bit beng confronted by large force her
strongly located ii ID not eaey 10 te3f how this
- 10 be effected until .he result Of our trst effort
). IN nv inetructions 10 Thomas, that brigade
cavalry Las been ordered here, which, 4 it arriv
In time. viii bc thrown across The Tennessee
: w .ssU: $: anss7, s1a'. Gen.
= SLerman's forces were moved from Brldg
- port By way Of Whitesides-oue divisit
Z rectfon OF Trenton-crossing at Brown
- Ferry up the north bank Of the Tennessee
. near the mouth of South Chickaulauga, whc
= they We're kept concealed from the euen
= until they we're ready to force cross1n
= ponzoons, Tor throwing bridge across t
- river, were bnlt and placed in North Chic
~ ~ ama1ga, near its mouth, fer miles furth
~ ~ up, n1thont attracting tbs attention Of t
- enemy. It Vas expected We would be as
~ to effect the crossing on the 21st Of NoTc
a a Der; but. owing to heavy rains, Sherman =
:. = unable to get up until the afternoon OF
H. IL, 22a, md then only with Gems. Morgan
10 10 Smith, John E. Smiths and Hugh EWIn!
- divisions, Of the 18th corps, under comma
se Of Major Geresa1 Frank i. Blair, Of his arm
;;ee The ontcon bIldge, Ut Browns Ferry b;
ha ~ ing been broken by the dr1{s consequent up
W tie rise In the river and rats sent down
a. a. tle enemy, the other division {osterhau
- was detained On the south side, and were
eu the night OF the 23d, ordered, unless it TO;
.r get alToss By O'clock the next morning,
" report to Hooker. Who was instructed, in t
sNe N event, TO attuck Lookout Mountain, as G.
y 1empluted in the original plan.
~ ~ a descrter from the rebel armT Who ca
ae into ourlines on the night Of tho 1SS3 Of
as yember, reported Bragg falling back! /; ]