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the hands of the enemy, and stores to the value of a million and a half of dollars were destroyed.
At this juncture Schofield arrived at Nashville with the advance of the Twenty-third corps, and Thomas at once directed the entire corps to move to Johnsonville, instead of Pulaski.
Schofield reached Johnsonville on the night of the 5th of November, but found that the enemy had already disappeared.
Thomas then instructed him to leave a strong force to protect the place, and with the remainder of his corps proceed to Pulaski, as originally ordered.
More than a week was lost by this diversion, and the Twenty-third corps was for a while divided; but Hood took no advantage of the opportunity, and Stanley remained unmolested at Pulaski until the 14th of November, when Schofield arrived and was placed in command of all the forces in front of the rebel army.
Thomas had now under Schofield's orders twenty-two thousand infantry and about five thousand two hundred horse.1 In spite of the repeated
1 ‘My effective force at this time consisted of the Fourth corps, about 12,000 men, under Major-General D. S. Stanley; the Twenty-third corps, about 10,000, under Major-General J. M. Schofield; Hatch's division of cavalry, about 4,000; Croxton's brigade, 2,500; and Capron's brigade, about 1,200. The balance of my command was distributed along the railroad, and posted at Murfreesboroa, Stevenson, Bridgeport, Huntsville, Decatur, and Chattanooga, to keep open communications and hold the posts above named, if attacked, until they could be reinforced; as up to this time it was impossible to determine which course Hood would take—advance on Nashville, or turn towards Huntsville.’ —Thomas's Official Report.
On the 20th of November, Thomas returned 24,264, present equipped for duty, in the Fourth and Twenty-third corps, and 5,543 cavalry. Whether all the cavalry was under Schofield's orders the return does not state. On the 31st of October, Thomas returned 10, 621 in the Twenty-third corps, 11,911 in the Fourth corps, and 5,328 cavalry. Wilson says, in his official report, that on the 23rd of November, when he took command of the cavalry under Schofield, he had in all 4,300 men.
New York Appleton 1885.
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