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from Florence up to Decatur.
All other force is believed to be going towards Bridgeport.’
Two days later the following telegram was received from
General N. B. Forrest, dated
Corinth, October 19th:
‘I am moving to meet General Washburn, who is reported crossing five thousand troops at Clifton.
If he crosses I will attack.
If I can defeat him I can then cross and destroy N. W. Railroad to Nashville, and be in position as desired’ [by General Taylor].
These two telegrams are important, as showing the reasons for
General Hood's proposed future campaign into
Middle Tennessee.
After completing all necessary arrangements for the establishment, at
Jacksonville, of a good base for
General Hood to operate from,
General Beauregard, on the 19th of October, started to join the Army of Tennessee at
Blue Pond, in a northeasterly direction, six miles beyond Centre, which is itself about thirty miles from
Jacksonville.
On his arrival there he ascertained from
General Wheeler that
General Hood and his army had retired to
Gadsden, on the
Coosa River, some twenty-seven miles to the westward.
Wheeler reported
Sherman's army not far from his front, and that he had been skirmishing that day with the
Federal cavalry, supported by some infantry.
General Beauregard was surprised that no intelligence of this retrograde movement had been sent to him. He began to fear that
General Hood was disposed to be oblivious of those details which play an important part in the operations of a campaign, and upon which the question of success or failure often hinges.
Leaving immediately for
Gadsden,
General Beauregard arrived there on the 21st, at 11 o'clock A. M.
On his way an incident occurred which was of no importance in itself, but which illustrates the tone and spirit animating the
Confederate soldier, even at that late hour of our struggle.
During the evening of the 20th, while
General Beauregard was awaiting, at a cross-road store, the arrival of his staff-wagon, a young lad, wearing the
Confederate uniform and carrying a light riflemusket, stepped up to the fireplace to warm himself.
General Beauregard was sitting close by, and, observing that the lad's shoes were very much worn, kindly said to him, ‘My young friend, you seem to be badly shod.’
‘Yes,’ was the reply, ‘we are, many of us, in that condition; ’