the Mississippi. Upon investigation I found that the cavalry serving with the Army of the Ohio consisted of one organized division, Stoneman's, nearly all dismounted, one brigade under Colonel Capron, sent to Louisville, Ky., for remount, the other under Colonel Israel Garrard, at Atlanta, Ga. Besides this division there were five or six regiments of good cavalry and one division of one-year mounted infantry serving in Kentucky and East Tennessee. This force being for local defense, however, was not detached, and therefore forms no part of the Cavalry Corps. I found the cavalry of the Army of the Cumberland organized into four divisions, three of which were composed of fine regiments from the northwestern States, well organized, and efficiently commanded by Brigadier-General McCook, Garrard, and Kilpatrick, and having done very hard service during the Atlanta campaign. The Fourth Division consisted entirely of Tennessee regiments serving in Tennessee. The cavalry of the Army of the Tennessee had been organized into two divisions, by order of Major-General Howard, commanded, respectively, by Brigadier-General Hatch, U. S. Volunteers, and Colonel Winslow, Fourth Iowa Cavalry. Both were at that time serving in West Tennessee. The division contained from six to ten regiments, organized into three brigades each. In the new organization the four divisions of the Army of the Cumberland were numbered, respectively, First, Second, Third, and Seventh, the two divisions of the Army of the Tennessee were designated, respectively, Fifth and Fourth, and the division of the Army of the Ohio the Sixth Division. The Tennessee troops were divided among the other divisions, so as to intermix them with troops from other States. From the lack of general and staff officers to simplify organization and to counteract a tendency to use the third brigades as reserves, each division was organized into two brigades, except the Sixth, which for special reasons, was allowed three. The chief of cavalry of the different departments were relieved from duty and directed to report to their commanding generals for other assignment. In pursuance of General Sherman's instructions measures were at once taken to collect, reorganize, remount, and bring into the field the largest possible force of cavalry, in order that he might have such a preponderance in that arm as would enable him to throw the enemy on the defensive, while with his infantry he could march to the seacoast unmolested. It was thought that if Hood followed him, instead of crossing the Tennessee River into Tennessee, that in a short time my entire cavalry force could be put upon a footing to harass and annoy him beyond endurance. With this in view General Hatch was ordered to march with the Fifth Division from Clifton, Tenn., by the most direct route, to Rome, Ga.; General Grierson was designated as the commander of the Fourth Division, and directed to assemble as much of it as possible, put it in a thorough condition, and be ready to march, when orders should be sent him, through Mississippi Alabama, and Georgia, and join the army under General Sherman. It soon, however, became apparent that Hood would march north instead of following General Sherman, and that operations would be forced upon us before the cavalry forces could be organized.

A reconnaissance by General Garrard, with the Second Division, toward Gadsden, on the Coosa River, on the 25th of October, and on the 27th and 28th to the south of the Coosa toward Jacksonville, revealed the fact that the rebel army under Hood had left Gadsden on the 22nd of October, marching in the direction of Warrenton, on the Tennessee River. As soon as General Sherman became thoroughly convinced of this he issued orders for the concentration of his army at