xiety to attack Bragg's command before Longstreet could
return from East Tennessee brought on the battle before I could reach
Chattanooga. General Grant, therefore, instructed General Sherman to halt
my command in Middle Tennessee and to instruct me to rebuild the railway
from Nashville to Decatur. The fulfilling of the above order is fully set
forth by General Grant in his Memoirs.

When I reached the line of the Nashville and Decatur railroad, I
distributed my troops from Columbia south towards Athens, Alabama. I had
about 10,000 men and 8,000 animals, and was without provisions, with no
railroad or water communication to any base of supply, and was obliged to
draw subsistence for my command from the adjacent country until I could
rebuild the railroad and receive my supplies from Nashville.

My command was a part of the Army of the Tennessee, occupying temporarily
a portion of the territory of the Department of the Cumberland, but not
reporting or subject to the commander of that department.

Upon an examination of the country, I found that there was an abundance of
everything needed to supply my command, except where Sherman's forces had
swept across it along Elk River. He wrote me, "I do not think that my
forces have left a chicken for you." I also found that I was in a country
where the sentiment of the people was almost unanimously against us. I had
very little faith in converting them by the taking of the oath of
allegiance; I therefore issued an order stating that I required the
products of the country to supply my command, and that to all who had
these products, regardless of their sentiments, who would bring them to
the stations where my troops were located, I would pay a fair price for
them; but that, if I had to send and bring the supplies myself, I should
take them without making payment, giving them only receipts; and also
issued instructions that every train going for supplies should be
accompanied by an officer and receipt given for what he took. This had a
good effect, the citizens generally bringing in their supplies to my
command and receiving the proper voucher; but it also gave an opportunity
for straggling bands to rob and charge up their depredations to my
command. This caused many complaints to be filed with the military
governor of Tennessee and the Department Commander of the Army of the
Cumberland.

Upon investigation I found most of those depredations were committed by
irresponsible partie