vailable at Kingston, to make twenty thousand men, in readiness
to go to the relief of Knoxville, upon the termination of the
battle at Chattanooga, these troops to take with them four days'
rations and a steamboat loaded with rations to follow up the
river.

On the evening of the 25th November orders were given to both
Thomas and Sherman to pursue the enemy early the next morning,
with all their available force except that under Granger,
intended for the relief of Knoxville.

On the morning of the 26th Sherman advanced by way of Chicamauga
Station, and Thomas' forces, under Hooker and Palmer, moved on
the Rossville road toward Grayville and Ringgold.

The advance of Thomas' forces reached Ringgold on the morning of
the 27th, where they found the enemy in strong position in the
gorge and on the crest of Taylor's Ridge, from which they
dislodged him after a severe fight, in which we lost heavily in
valuable officers and men, and continued the pursuit that day
until near Tunnel Hill, a distance of twenty miles from
Chattanooga.

Davies' division (14th Corps) of Sherman's column reached
Ringgold about noon of the same day. Howard's Corps was sent by
Sherman to Red Clay to destroy the railroad between Dalton and
Cleveland, and thus cut off Bragg's communication with
Longstreet, which was successfully accomplished.

Had it not been for the imperative necessity of relieving
Burnside, I would have pursued the broken and demoralized
retreating enemy as long as supplies could have been found in the
country. But my advices were that Burnside's supplies would only
last until about the 3d of December. It was already getting late
to afford the necessary relief. I determined, therefore, to
pursue no further. Hooker was directed to hold the position he
then occupied until the night of the 31st, but to go no further
south at the expense of a fight. Sherman was directed to march to
the railroad crossing of the Hiwassee, to protect Granger's flank
until he was across that stream, and to prevent further
re-enforcements being sent by that route into East Tennessee.

Returning from the front on the 28th, I found that Granger had
not yet got off, nor would he have the number of men I had
directed. Besides he moved with reluctance and complaints. I