found that he was gone. After two days' hard marching through drenching rains and deep mud, wading Elk River and other minor streams, we halted and rested for the night on the banks of Shoal Creek. Taking into consideration that many of the men were barefooted, many almost naked, the bad weather and the deep roads, and entire want of transportation, which, with all baggage (expect what the officers and men could carry upon their horses and persons) was left behind in Atlanta, this march, in my opinion, is excelled by but few upon record. From the time we left Atlanta it had rained almost constantly day and night. On the following day, October 6, the Thirty-fourth Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry and Seventy-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of this brigade, were ordered to make a reconnaissance on the Lawrenceburg pike, which was to the left and rear of our position, and the Ninety- eight Ohio Volunteer Infantry to follow with a section of the battery, the other two brigades of the DIVISION on the Florence road, upon which they had attacked the enemy's cavalry early in the morning, and were then rapidly them in the direction of that town. The Thirty-fourth and Seventy-eighth Illinois Regiments, having completed their reconnaissance, as ordered, returned to camp late that evening, having seen nothing of the enemy and discovering nothing of importance. The Ninety-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, after marching to Florence, where it came up to the other two brigades, who had then driven the enemy though and beyond that place, returned to camp same evening, and the following day the brigade, with the balance of the DIVISION, marched to Florence, distance, seven miles from Shoal Creek, and went into camp, where it remained until the morning of the 10th, when, with the rest of the command, it commenced to fall back to Athens, reaching this place on the morning of the 12th. On the following day at 12 m. we took the cars for Chattanooga, and arriving there on the morning of the 14th went into camp, where we remained until the 18th, when we marched to Lee and Gordon's Mills; distance, twelve miles. Next day resumed march toward La Fayette, which place we reached late in the evening, having marched a distance of thirteen miles. On the next days, October 20-22, we rejoined the other two DIVISIONS of the corps, then at Gaylesville, Ala., having marched these days thirty-four miles. At this place we remained in camp until October 28, when we marched toward Rome, Ga., arriving there on the following day; distance, twenty-five miles. Encamping here until the morning of November 1 we marched to Kingston, Ga., distant from Rome seventeen miles, and went into camp late that afternoon. November 8, marched to Cartersville and encamped until the morning of the 13th, when we set out for Atlanta, Ga., effectually destroying three miles of the Chattanooga and Atlanta Railroad between the Utah River and the town of Allatoona, and, marching fourteen miles, bivouacked for the night at Acworth. *

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

[J. S. PEARCE,]

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

[Captain T. WISEMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.]

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* For continuation of report, relating to the Savannah campaign, see Vol. XLIV, Part I.

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41 R R-VOL XXXIX, PT I.