available material in the place. Thanks to Captain Longstreth's energy, I was enabled by noon of the 9th to throw an infantry force onto Cemetery Hill and secure it. Some idea may be gathered of the promptness with which the bridge was built when I state at midnight of the 8th the trees were standing in the streets of Rome that at noon of the next day furnished balk and chess for a bridge over which infantry, cavalry, and artillery passed.

The two brigades that left Kingston on the morning of the 6th arrived at Rome just as the bridge was finished. Detachments of cavalry from Colonel Spencer's regiment were sent out to patrol the roads leading south from Rome. Scouts and spies had been sent out during the night of the 8th. Two deserters came in and reported that Hood was moving toward Blue Mountain, leaving Cedartown and Cave Spring on his right. I had been receiving intelligence by telegraph from General Raum at Cartersville, and from General Cox, commanding Twenty-THIRD Corps, at Allatoona, both reporting that deserters had arrived at their headquarters, stating that Hood's entire army was moving on Rome. General Sherman telegraphed later in the day that he felt satisfied that Hood would strike Rome, and directed me to make a stubborn fight behind breast-works; that he would re-enforce me with 50,000 men as quick as they could be marched to Rome. Every ax, shovel, and pick had been early called into requisitions, and every preparation made to receive Hood and his army. However, no information could be obtained from our front till about midnight of the 9th, when some of the patrols, spies, and scouts commenced coming in, corroborating the intelligence received from Generals Sherman, Raum, and Cox, and that Hood's army was within twelve miles of us. At 3 a. m. of the morning of the 10th captain Peek, of the First Alabama Cavalry, brought in some prisoners belonging to Walthall's and Loring's DIVISIONS, of Stewart's corps. The captain, having gallantly assaulted the enemy's outposts, drove them into their reserve; they in turn fell back into the main body, creating great commotion and confusion, under cover of which the captain made his escape, bringing with him quite a squad of prisoners, from whom I obtained positive information of the locality of Hood's different corps. They, however, could give no decided opinion of Hood's object or destination. It was evident that he did not intend attacking Rome, as his heads of column had crossed the road leading into Rome, and were directed on the Coosa River, over which the prisoners thought Hood was effecting a crossing. At daylight of the 10th this opinion was confirmed by a spy coming in and stating that he had been in the enemy's camp, where Lee's corps were laying a pontoon bridge over the Coosa, near Coosaville, twelve miles distant from Rome. Reports became more frequent, and Hood's position and movements gradually developed. Hood arrived at Cedartown on the morning of the 9th, placing one corps at Cave Spring (Lee's), one at Cedartown (Hardee's), one at Vann's Valley (Stewart's). Two days' rations had been cooked, and the command commenced crossing the pontoon bridge at Coosaville at daylight on the morning of the 10th in the following order: Wheeler's cavalry, followed by Lee and Hardee, crossed during the morning; latackson's cavalry and the men that were unfit to march, to take up the bridge and move it farther down the river. General Sherman arrived at Kingston with the Twenty-THIRD Corps on the evening of the 10th and there waited for their developments. about 11. 30 p. m. of the 10th Wheeler's cavalry moved up the right bank of the Coosa, and struck my pickets at the forks of the Alabama and Summerville roads. Without making any further demonstration they moved off on