THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: A COMPILATION OF THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES. PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF The Hon. REDFIELD PROCTOR, Secretary of War, BY MAJ. GEORGE B. DAVIS, U. S. A., MR. LESLIE J. PERRY, MR. JOSEPH W. KIRKLEY, Board of Publication. SERIES I VOLUME XXXVIII-IN FIVE PARTS. PART IV-CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1891. PART IV.-VOL. XXXVIII. CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN, FROM MAY 1, 1864, TO JUNE 30, 1864.* UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, In the Field, Chattanooga, May 1, 1864-8 p. m. General GRANT, Culpeper, Va. : Schofield is now at Charleston, and will move to Cleveland. Thomas will concentrate at Ringgold, and McPherson's troops are all in motion toward Chattanooga, and by May 5 I will group them at Rossville and Gordon's Mills. The first move will be: Thomas, Tunnel Hill; Schofield, Catoosa Springs, and McPherson, Villanow. Next move will be battle. I have Atlanta dates 29th of April. Enemy has a general idea of our plans, and are massing about Richmond and Dalton. Nothing new in the papers, except that General Polk reports, under date Demopolis, 23d of April, that Wirt Adams had captured and burned a gun-boat at Yazoo City, taking on shore eight 24-pounder guns. Weather fine; roads very good. I leave John E. Smith's division at Huntsville and Decatur till Blair gets there with the Seventeenth Corps, when I will bring forward more men, according to the issues of our first battle. A good deal of the enemy's cavalry is hanging about North Alabama, and McPherson is uneasy about Decatur; but we must risk something. I have removed the bridge at Larkin's, and will try and get one of the new gun-boats to patrol the river from Bridgeport down. Thomas is here, but we will all go out on the 5th. I will expect further notice from you, but will agree to draw the enemy's fire within twentyfour hours of May 5. W. T. SHERMAN, HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Brig. Gen. J. D, WEBSTER, Nashville, Tenn.: We cannot be too strict about prohibiting citizens on our roads. I will make no exceptions in favor of correspondents, who are mere traders in news like other men, who would make money out of the army. If any are here.they stand a good chance for being impressed for soldiers or other labor. We cannot attempt to reconcile conflicting claims of the press. * W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, Commanding. For Correspondence, etc., from July 1 to September 8, 1864, see Part V. 3 |