HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Tupelo, Miss., January 9, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit an outline of the movements and operations of the army from its leaving Palmetto to the present time.

The army left its bivouac near Palmetto, Ga., on the 29th of September last, with Jackson's cavalry in its front, Brigadier-General Iverson with his command being left in observation of the enemy in and around Atlanta, and moving first on the prolongation of its left flank to the westward, we crossed the Chattahoochee the same day on pontoon bridges at Pumpkin Town and Phillips' Ferry, while our supplies, which we brought by wagon trains from Newnan, Ga., crossed at Moore's Ferry, where we had constructed a temporary trestle bridge. As soon as we crossed the river the army moved at once to the immediate vicinity of Lost Mountain, reaching there on the 3rd of October, our cavalry during the march watching the enemy from our front and right flank, and occasionally skirmishing with his cavalry along the banks of Sweet Water Creek.

On the 4th [3rd] of October Lieutenant-General Stewart's corps, in obedience to my orders, struck the enemy's railroad at Acworth and Big Shanty, capturing the garrisons at both places, consisting of some 400 prisoners, with some animals and stores. Hearing that the enemy had a quantity of stores at Allatoona, I desired, if possible, to destroy the bridge over thee Etowah River, and directed Lieutenant-General Stewart to send a division also to Allatoona, instructing the officer in command to destroy the railroad there and take possession of the place, if in his judgment, when he reached there, he deemed it practicable. Accordingly Major-General French was sent, who attacked the place early on the morning of the 5th of October, and quickly carried the enemy's outer line of works, driving him into a redoubt and taking possession of the place, with this exception, that just at this critical juncture he (General French) received information, which he considered correct (but which subsequently proved false), that a large body of the enemy were moving to cut him off from the remainder of the army, and he immediately withdrew his command from the place without having accomplished the desired object. Lieutenant-General Stewart's command succeeded in destroying completely some ten miles of the railroad. These operations caused the enemy to move his army, with the exception of one corps, from Atlanta to Marietta, threatening an advance in the direction of our position at Lost Mountain; but not deeming our army in condition for a general engagement, I withdrew it on the 6th of October to the westward, continuing to march daily, and crossed the Coosa River near Coosaville and moved up the west bank of the Oostenaula, striking the railroad again between Resaca and Mill Creek Gap, just above Dalton, on the 13th of October, destroying the railroad from Resaca to Tunnel Hill, capturing the enemy's posts at Tilton, Dalton, and Mill Creek Gap, with about 1,000 prisoners and some stores, after which I again withdrew the army from the railroad, moving to the southwest toward Gadsden, Ala., the enemy following and skirmishing constantly with our cavalry, then under command of Major-General Wheeler, who joined the army on the march just before it crossed the Coosa River.

The army reached Gadsden, Ala., on the 20th of October, and remained there a day to issue supplies, which had met us there, having been sent via Selma and Jacksonville. As soon, however, as these supplies were issued the army took up the line of march for the Ten