NASHVILLE, November 28, 1864 - 3.30 p. m.

Major-General STEEDMAN,

Chattanooga:

Merrill can furnish you with the pontoons for bridge;they should be taken down the river by streams to reach Decatur about the time your column does; should be laid promptly, the troops crossed over, and then taken up, the transports returning to Chattanooga. You should march rapidly on Tuscumbia, and if you succeed in destroying the rebel pontoon bridge you can return at your leisure. If you learn at Tuscumbia that there is but a small force at Cherokee you can destroy that depot after you have destroyed the rebel pontoon bridge at Tuscumbia. The bridge is laid above the railroad bridge piers. You will have no unless the march is made very promptly and secretly, the guard stationed in Florence will get wind of your movements and take measures to foil you.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

NASHVILLE, November 28,1 864 - 8 p. m.

Major-General STEEDMAN,

Chattanooga:

Your dispatch of 4.30 p. m. is received. Do you propose to march your troops, or take them down on steamers? In the later event will four be sufficient? Answer immediately.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE ETOWAH,
Chattanooga, November 28, 1864 - 11.30 p. m.

Major-General THOMAS:

I propose to proceed by rail to Decatur with my men, and send my cavalry by transports to meet me there, and use the transports to cross the river instead of using pontoons. I start to-morrow, November 29.

JAMES B. STEEDMAN,

Major-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DISTRICT OF THE ETOWAH,

No. 52. Chattanooga, November 28, 1864.

* * * * * * *

II. Colonel Felix Prince Salm, Sixty-eighth New York Infantry Volunteers, will join the major-general commanding district without delay, and accompany him on the expedition ordered by the major-general commanding Department of the Cumberland, this date.

By command of Major-General Steedman:

S. B. MOE,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.