On the 5th Colonel Daniel McCook, commanding Third Brigade, Davis' division, Fourteenth Army Corps, was ordered to move his brigade to Lee and Gordon's Mills, on Chickamauga Creek; Colonel T. J. Harrison, commanding Thirty-ninth Indiana Mounte Infantry, stationed at Leet's Tan-yard, was driven from his position by a heavy force of rebel cavalry, which, as was subsequently ascertained through a deserter, amounted to two brigades. They attempted to gain Harrison's rear, but failing to do so, retired by the same way they came.

Information was received from a reliable source that Johnston was being re-enforced by infantry and Roddey's cavalry; Colonel Edward McCook, commanding First Division of Cavalry, was instructed on the 8th to place his command in camp at Cleveland, and endeavor to recruit his animals as much as possible, sending out scouting parties along our front.

This division had been serving with the Army of the Ohio since the withdrawal of Longstreet from before Knoxville, and with long marches, together with the difficulty of procuring forage, the horses and transportation of the command were in poor condition. On the 8th Colonel Harrison was directed to remove his command from Lee and Gordon's Mills to a position on the road leading from the mills to Ringgold, throwing out pickets to Leet's Tan-yard and to Wood's Gap. Colonel W. P. Boone, commanding Twenty-eighth Kentucky Mounted Infantry, ordered to move his command to Lee and Gordon's Mills, and report to Colonel Daniel McCook, commanding the brigade at that place.

On the 9th Colonel Harrison reconnoitered the gaps in Taylor's Ridge and found the enemy in larger force than they were previous to the demonstration of the 5th. On the 13th Long's brigade of cavalry left Cleveland for Ringgold. The Western and Atlantic Railroad was in running order to Graysville the same day. During the evening Colonel McCook reported, by signal, from Lee and Gordon's Mills, that Colonel Boone had just returned from beyond La Fayette, and that he found no rebels at the gaps.

On the 16th the following information was received direct from Dalton, and from a reliable source:

Rebel force 45,000, comprising Hood's four divisions; Stevenson, on the left, southeast of Dalton, 6,000; Breckinridge, on the left center, 4,000; Stewart on the right center and Hindman on the right. Hardee's four divisions; Cleburne's on the left, east of Dalton, 5,000 strong; Cheatham's on the right, and two others on the railroad. Roddey's cavalry was near Varnell's Station, numbering 2,000 men; Wheeler was in front with 11,000 men; total cavalry, 12,000 to 14,000.

March 18 the balance of Johnson's division, Fourteenth Corps, reached Graysville from Tyner's Station and went into camp at that place.

On the 20th the Western and Atlantic Railroad was in running order to Ringgold. About this time information was sent me from Dalton confirmatory of the report received from General Gordon Granger, on the 5th, to the effect that a part of Longstreet's cavalry was re-enforcing Johnston, said to be Martin's division. Brigadier General G. M. Dodge, of the Army of the Tennessee, reported from Athens on the 23rd, by telegraph, that he had pushed down both sides of the Tennessee River and found the enemy very strong on the south side, and that he had no doubt they were preparing for a raid. He could not tell whether it was the whole of Forrest's force or not. Brigadier General Kenner Garrard, commanding the Second Cavalry Division, at Huntsville, was instructed to move his force to the support