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latter, he acted in time, gained a magnificent victory, and thus escaped so terrible a fate.’
The full correspondence relating to this subject is not only interesting, but it throws much new light upon
General Sherman's account of the movements connected with the March to the
Sea.
General Thomas was in
Nashville directing the concentration of his army.
General Schofield was in command at the front.
The great object was to hold
Hood back until all available forces could be united to meet him, and the remount of the cavalry accomplished.
Under these circumstances, and a week before the advance of
A. J. Smith's troops arrived at
Nashville, the enemy had reached
Columbia, and his large force of cavalry under
Forrest was becoming very active.
At this time the correspondence between
General Thomas and the authorities at the
East began, and continued until the battle was fought.
Its opening dispatch was as follows:
* * * * Do not let
Forrest get off without punishment.
The answer gave strong reasons for not implicitly obeying this order, and, together with the telegrams which succeeded it, shows the real condition in which
General Sherman left
Thomas:
Your dispatch of 4 P. M. yesterday just received.
Hood's entire army is in front of
Columbia, and so greatly outnumbers mine at this time that I am compelled to act on the defensive.
None of
General Smith's troops have arrived yet, although they embarked at
St. Louis on Tuesday last.
The transportation of
Generals Hatch's and
Grierson's cavalry was ordered by
General Washburne I am told, to be turned in at
Memphis, which has crippled the only cavalry I had at this time.
All of my cavalry was dismounted to furnish horses to
Kilpatrick's division, which went with
General Sherman.
My
