that part of the railroad track allotted to me by orders on the subject which were issued by the lieutenant-general commanding. After this had been thoroughly accomplished we moved by way of Dalton, and passing through Dug Gap on the 14th and Treadaway's Gap on 16th, on by way of Summerville to Little Will's Creek, five miles from Gadsden, Ala. Here we remained from evening of 20th to the morning of 22d, and issued shoes and clothing which had been brought up to that point to meet us by previous arrangement. Our march from this point was through Summit and Somerville to the neighborhood of Decatur, where we remained from 26th to 29th, threatening the town, which was well fortified. Some skirmishing and considerable artillery firing occurred every day while we were there, but without results, except the loss of a few men. Through Courtland and Leighton we moved to Tuscumbia, arriving there 31st, and moving thence up to South Florence on November 14. *

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. C. WALTHALL,

Major-General.

Captain W. D. GALE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 119. Report of Major General William B. Bate, C. S. Army, commanding DIVISION, Hardee's army corps.

HEADQUARTERS BATE'S DIVISION,
Tupelo, Miss., January 25, 1864.

MAJOR: In obedience to orders from corps headquarters I have the honor most respectfully to forward this report of the operations of my command in the late Tennessee campaign.

After an absence of two months I rejoined the Army of Tennessee and took command of my DIVISION near Cedartown on the 10th of October, 1864. During my absence Lewis' brigade, of my DIVISION, had been taken from me and mounted, leaving Jackson's, Tyler's (commanded by Brigadier General T. B. Smith), and Finley's (commanded by Colonel Robert Bullock), and Cobb's battalion of artillery, composed of Slocomb's, Beauregard's, and Phillips' batteries. My command moved from that time in conjunction with Cheatham's corps until the morning of the 13th of October, when I was sent in advance upon the flanks of Dalton to Mill Creek Gap, with instructions to take the block-house in that gap and destroy the railroad. Having approached within three miles and hearing a locomotive I sent forward my escort, with a man mounted behind each, to cut the road and prevent the escape of the trains from Dalton. Upon my arrival I found a formidable work so commanding the gap as to prevent my passing through it. I soon surrounded it with my infantry and placed my artillery in 200 yards on a commanding point, and sent forward a flag of truce to demand its surrender. The flag was fired on, killing the horse of my assistant adjutant- general, Captain Cheney, who bore it. Thinking it done through mistake, I sent another, of which no notice was take. I then opened my battery, the Fifth [Company] Washington Artillery, Lieutenant Chalaron commanding, with

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*For continuation of report, relating to the Nashville campaign, see Vol. XLV, Part I.

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