Nashville,
and also to give Hood his death-blow at Franklin. Subsequent
operations have shown how little fight was then left in his army,
and have taken that little out of it. He now has not more than
fifteen thousand infantry, about ten thousand of whom only are
armed, and they greatly demoralized. With time to reorganize and
recruit, he could not probably raise his force to more than half
the strength he had at Franklin.

"General Thomas has assigned several new regiments to my command,
and I hope soon to make them effective by distributing them in old
brigades. I will have from fifteen to eighteen thousand effective
men, two thirds of whom are the veterans of the campaigns of East
Tennessee and Georgia: A small force, it is true, yet one which
would at least be an appreciable addition to your army in Virginia
or elsewhere where decisive work is to be done.

"It may not be practicable now for me to join General Sherman, but
it would not be difficult to transfer my command to Virginia.

"I am aware that General Thomas contemplates a 'spring campaign'
into Alabama or Mississippi, with the Tennessee River as a base,
and believe he considers my command a necessary part of the operating
force. Without reference to the latter point, permit me to express
the opinion that such a campaign would not be an economical or
advantageous use of so many troops.

"If aggressive operations are to be continued in the Gulf States,
it appears to me it would be much better to take Mobile and operate
from that point, thus striking vital points, if there are any such,
of rebel territory by much shorter lines.

"But it appears to me that Lee's army is virtually all that is left
of the rebellion. If we can concentrate force enough to destroy
that, we will destroy with it the rebel government, and the occupation
of the whole South will then be but a matter of a few weeks' time.

"Excuse, General, the liberty I have taken in expressing my views
thus freely and unsolicited. I have no other motive than a desire
for the nation's good, and a personal wish to serve where my little
command can do the most.

"The change I suggest would of course deprive me of my department
command, but this would be a small loss to me or to the service.
The present arrangement is an unsatisfactory one at best. Nominally
I command both a department and an army in the field; but in fact
I do neither. I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient
serv