New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-06
o.r.,s a, hearing arms soldier, and those VINO ,
snu ~ hcsy arms in the field acted "a provVs1ss iSs

ard bov capable OF bearing arms 500 ovo.,s far
e9ud lot bear arms ~ ,eUrnirs them This esatd the
enemy 10 bring almost his entire =, hs forcc. east
The enemy had enrated 'ne cooommanded by Gen.
.t,he Me.isspui into arm.es a,.d hat
erals X Lee and j. l. johnston h % ocrupied tile
generate The army commanded pS y. 80 from Nine Run
south bank on tnc ed covering and defendlIs
Richmond the rebel capital g,r occupied strongly
Potomac The army unoer Gsrrga covering and de-
SS;na htlanta Georgia place OF e.a, III kr;nr 60
a railroad centre against tne ~ he arnics he had
81 w IT sherman In addition W - Me-
e w ~, force under Forrest, 10 northeast M-sis
sinn considerable force, OF All ai 9 ,;i ava er
spR iuv and in the western paft OF virginia alu ga
aOah van! - ,,,r of Tenpcssee and also cohrohuu3
49,. 90 coa,t tnrrlsons, ana hoiuns pV@N"1'" PV'"
where we Rad no fOothold upon ih"u. AM, dc.,1,d
Ill., tuo armies and the cities covered ana uelcleu
.,h wsr, The nain objective points OF ihe cahphgn
p9,saSar General W. T. Sherman who was appo!n'eu 20
the command Of the military dNso' OF VIC "a H. e
Embracing ali the armies aid territory east oil the VI
.nn river TO the Aeghanes, and the department o.
Nrkansas west OF the Mss!ssp pi, had We linou''
corouand OF the armies operat ny agaIist
w. General Geor-e o. Meade had the immeoiaiG
command Of the Army Of the Potomac from whege
sxercscd general supervision Of the movements o' All
ou General sherman was instructed TO move as1n-t
Johnstou's army break up, ana TO go mo ihe Ie
10, of tho euerys country rs Tar IS ne c0uu hnc'
~ he damage he could upon their war resources II
~ enemy I'm his from showed signs OF joining lte 70
follow him up to the fu ex,es OF Is an him If i;
would prevent the concentration Of Lee upon niu IL II
es IN he mower Of the army Of the Potomac " 20 SO
More specific written Instructions were h.i sNe, 'O
The reason that had taktd over WIN MN he pans VI
~ 1000, N and was satisfied that he understood them
"a ,ord execute them the fullest extent poss Die
nv W, Geosral n T. Bauks, then an expedition up
"a 49, AGAINST shreveport louisiana (which had
basn or,anzei previous - luy appointment 10 com
snd5 was notified by me on the 18th OF March OF INC
importancc that Shreveport should be TAKEN al
che earliest posbc day, and that II he found that the
taking Of would occupy from ten 10 ilteeh DAYS ,ore
time then General Sherman had gwen ms FOODS 20 ~
absen, from their command, he would send them back
Al the time specified by General sherman, even IL ied
20 the abandonment OF the main OBJECT OF the hed river
expedition for this force necessary 10 movements
49, Of the Mississippi that should his expedition prove
successful, he would hold Shreveport ana inc hta river
with such force he might deem necessary hhG re-
turn the balance of his troops to the eighb-rhood OF
New Orleans comrnencicg for the further &C
Suisiion of territory unless ii was to make that men
held by him more easily held that u might 10 pr, %
the spring campaign 10 against Mobile; tina, II
certainly would be II troops enough could Oe ooaev 70
make il without embarrassing other movements mat
New Orleans would De the polnt OF dep'T.uTe 10Y ~,
an expedition also that had directed General steele
20 make real move from Arkansas s suggested by
him General Banks) instead Of Decentralization, 20
Steele thought Advisable.
On the lt Of March, In addition TO the foregoing noti-
dcaton and directions he was instructed as follows
"ls If successful In your expeult on against ShTt'c-
port that YOU turn over ne defence Of the Red river TO
General Steele and the navy. 80
"2d That You abandon Texas entirely Win inc ex-
cepton of yonr hold upon the Rio Grande This can be
held with four thousand men, If They viii turn thtIr
attention Immediately to certifying their positions AT
least onehs Of the force required for this service might
be taken from the colored troops
sd By properly fortfying the Mississippi river,
che force to guard ii from Port Hudson to New oren-
can be reduced ten thousand men, Ii not 10 less
nnmber Sly thousand more would then Hold al The
rest Of the territory necessary 10 hold until active OPP,
rations again be resumed west OF the river Accord
ipg TO your last return this would give You 1orce OF
over thirty thousand effective mon with which 10 move
against Mobile. To this expect to add hve thousand
from NJ ssouri. If, however You innS the force
here stated too small 70 hold tie territory regarded as
necessary hold possession Of would say concentrate
at least tw ty-fve thousand Of your prescott con-
vnand O-eratiOns against Mobile. WITH these and
such additions give you from elsewhere ose no
time in making demonstration, TO be followed ny an
ordered to report 10 Adm raj Farragut. Tnis gives hin
O strong naval feet with which 10 cooperate. You can
make your own arrangements with the Admirsi lor MS
cooperation. and select Your own line OF approach
NY own idea OF the matter IL that FascagOula
shoud be your base, but from your long service IN
the matter. 1t lie intended that your movements
shall be cooperative with movements Gle,
now add is that you the concentrat OF your
forces Preserve profound secrecy what you
Intend doing and start At ne S sare;i Possible momen
"Major General y. Z. BANKS"
Major General Meade was instructed that Lecs army
would he his objective point that wherever Fee went IA.
would 20 AFRO For this movement two plans presented
themselyes One 10 the Rapdan below Lee, NOV
ing By his right flank the other above moving by his
left Each presented advantages over the other, with
corresDondnp objections BY crossing above, Lee would
be of from al chance Of gnorng Richmond or 20 ng
north raid But If We took this route all We did
he'd out; besides, IT separated Us from Bnr 20 mat ne
could not be directed how cooperate IL We took the
other route Brandy Station could be used ~ base oil
supplies until another was secured the York janice
rivers or these however, it was decided TO take Tie
lower route.
The following letter Of instruction WA addressed 20
Major General b. 4. Butler:
"FoRr MONROE, Va, April p 1864
"GgSERAL In the spring campaign, which II Is desir
able shall commence al early day 40 praeuealle ~
proposed have cooperative action OF all the armies IN
the fed, far "a this object can DC accomplished
1t will not be possible u unite our armies INTO Two
three large 10 act as 80 many uis, OWING 20 e
absolute necessity Of hold 10 The territory already
taken from the enemy But, generally speaking, con
cenraton be practically effected by armies moving
70 the interior Of the enemy country iroa toe erIofy
they have 10 guard by such nO' efent thcy hterpoe
themselves between the enemy ana Inc country 10 De
guarded thereby reducing the lumber necessary TO guard
important points, or AT leaet occupy inc attention OF
part OF the eUcys force i 10 greater object l. gained
Lees army and Richmond be ny the greater objects TO-
wards which attention must be directed IN the next
campaign 1t desirable 10 unite all the force we can
against them. The necessity OF covering Washing on
with the army Of the Potomac, and OF covering your de
partment with your army, makes II Impossible 70 unite
these forces at The beginning OF any move propose,
therefore, what comes nearest this OF anything thal
seems practicable The army Of the Potomac will act
from lite present base Lees army being the object We
point You viii collect all the forces from your
inand that be spared from garrison duty should
say not les than twenty thonsand enoctYe me'-io
operate the south side OF James river, Richmond be
ing your objective poia TO the force you already have
will be added about ten thousand from South Caro-
lima, under Major General Gilmore, who VII command
them In person. Major General W T. smith s ordered
10 report 10 you 10 command the troop, sent Into the
Geld from your department
"Genera Gilmore will be ordered to report 10 you
Foriross Monroe with all the troops Transports by
the 18Th instant, soon thereafter AZ practicable
Should you not receive notice by that time to move you
will make such disposition of them and your DINER
forcee as Won may deem bet calculated 10 deceive the
enemy AZ 10 the real move 10 DO made
"when you notified TO Inoye take cry Point with
once, and concentrate all your troops Tor The bc!d