Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

If not inconsistent with the customs of service and the views of the War Department, I have the honor to request that the reports of division and brigade commanders may be published in the Army and Navy Journal or Official Gazette.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

In pursuance of instructions from General Thomas, I was authorized, after the escape of Hood to the south side of the Tennessee river, to assemble the available force of the corps in the vicinity of Eastport, at the head of steamboat navigation on the Tennessee river, for the purpose of completing the organization and putting the troops in the best possible condition for early active operations.

By his direction, after transferring the Seventh Ohio and Fifth Iowa from the Sixth division, it was ordered to Pulaski with a view to its remaining in Tennessee for local operations. No reports have since been received of its services.

On the twenty-fourth of January La Grange's and Watkins' brigades of the First division, after a fatiguing march, arrived at Waterloo landing, in the north-western corner of Alabama. They had been detained in Kentucky under General McCook, for the purpose of ridding that State of a band of rebel cavalry under Lyon. In pursuance of previous orders the Third brigade of this division was then distributed between the First and Second brigades. Brevet Brigadier-General Watkins, at his own request, was ordered to Nashville to report to Brigadier-General R. W. Johnson, commanding the Sixth division, for assignment to the command of a brigade in that division. About the same time the Second division, Brigadier-General Eli Long commanding, and newly mounted and equipped, arrived from Louisville, having marched from that place, a distance of three hundred and eighty-five miles, in mid-winter, over bad roads with scanty supplies of forage, in twenty-eight days. Soon after this, Winslow's brigade of the Fourth division arrived by steam transports from the same place. The Second brigade of this division was then organized by joining the First Ohio (transferred from the Second division) with the Fifth Iowa and the Seventh Ohio (transferred from the Sixth division). Brevet Brigadier-General A. J. Alexander, a young officer of courage and administrative ability, was assigned to the command. Brigadier-General B. H. Grierson had been originally assigned to the command of this division, but failing to use due diligence in assembling and preparing it for the field, he was replaced by Brevet Major-General E. Upton, an officer of rare merit and experience.

The troops were all cantoned on the north bank of the Tennessee river — Long's, Upton's, and Hatch's divisions, and Hammond's brigade of Knipe's division at Gravelly Springs, and McCook's division at Waterloo. The aggregate force was about twenty-two thousand men, thirteen thousand of whom were armed with Spencer carbines and rifles; sixteen thousand were well mounted on horses simply requiring a few weeks rest, feed and attention, to become fit for active service. The balance were poorly armed and dismounted.

On the third of February I received instructions to send a division of five thousand cavalry to General Canby.After consultation with General Thomas it was decided to send Knipe's division, but in order to furnish it with horses, it was found necessary to dismount a part of the command remaining behind. General Hatch's division, composed of most excellent troops, had, under its gallant commander, won great distinction during the recent campaign, but having the largest number of dismounted men, and having been constantly in service from the beginning of the war, I thought it best to take the horses from it necessary to mount the troops about to leave. I wished to give it an opportunity to rest, furnish it a remount of fresh horses, equipments, and arms, and hoped thereby to make it a model in drill, discipline and equipment, as it had already made itself in dash, constancy and the cheerful performance of duty.

On the third of February the mounted portion of the Seventh division embarked at Waterloo on transports for Vicksburg. The dismounted portion, with such horses as could be obtained, followed from Nashville under the direct command of General Knipe, as soon as transportation could be furnished.Brevet Brigadier-General J. H. Hammond had been relieved by direction of the Chief Surgeon from the command of a brigade in this division, after having earned great credit with it in the battles about Nashville and the pursuit of Hood from Tennessee.

These changes left under my immediate command seventeen thousand men, requiring about five thousand horses to furnish a complete remount.

As the troops arrived at Gravelly Springs they were assigned to camps as close together as the circumstances of ground, water, and [651] contiguity to the landings would permit. The mild climate, rocky soil and rolling surface of the country, rendered this altogether the best locality that could have been found for recuperating and preparing both men and horses for an early spring campaign.

The camps were laid out with regularity, comfortable quarters for the men, and shelters for the horses were constructed without delay; roads were made to the landings, and supplies of forage, rations, clothing, equipments and ammunition were furnished in great abundance. A thorough system of instruction for men and officers was instituted, and every necessary effort was made to bring the corps to the highest possible state of efficiency. I transmit herewith a topographical sketch, showing the situation of the camps, and their arrangement. The plan of that constructed by General Hammond and afterward occupied by a part of General Upton's division, I regard the best arrangement of a cavalry cantonment yet devised.

The influence of the system adopted on the subsequent career of the corps cannot be over-estimated. The final victory over Forrest and the rebel cavalry was won by patient industry and instruction while in the cantonments of Gravelly Springs and Waterloo.The great fault in our cavalry system had previously been over-work in detachments, and the absence of instruction, organization and uniformity of equipment.

On the twenty-third of February,