NASHVILLE, TENN., December 29, 1864-7 p,.m.

Major THOMAS T. ECKERT:

General A. J. Smith marched to-day from Pulaski for Eastport. I am ordered to prepare to build telegraph west from Decatur on Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Rivers getting low very fast. Railroad to Chattanooga and Louisville in order again. Roads drying up, so movements may work.

J. C. VAN DUZER,

Captain, &c.

[DECEMBER 29, 1864. - For General Orders, Numbers 169, Department of the Cumberland, announcing close of campaign, &c., see Part I, p. 50.]

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS,
Lexington, Ala., December 29, 1864-3. p.m.

Brigadier-General WHIPPLE:

GENERAL: Your dispatch of the 28th instant, directing the artillery with me to be sent back and to retain the infantry where it was not received until 12 m. to-day. The commanding general was fully advised at 8.30 p.m. December 27 that I would move forward the next morning to support the cavalry as General Wilson had determined to continue the pursuit farther toward the Tennessee River. As we have advanced one day's march farther south, it occurs to me that the commanding general may not possibly desire the artillery now with the to be sent back to Pulaski. I will, therefore retain it here until to-morrow morning, by which time, I trust, I will receive an answer to my dispatch of yesterday evening, announcing that the enemy had crossed the river, and asking for orders. If I receive no further orders by to-morrow morning I will send the artillery back to Pulaski and retain the infantry here to await further instructions. In the meantime I will try to get up my supply train from the rear to subsist the infantry.

I repeat that I should be glad to have full instructions from the commanding general for our further movements.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

TH. J. WOOD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS,
Lexington, Ala., December 29, 1864-5.30 p.m.

Brigadier-General WHIPPLE,

Chief of Staff:

Your dispatch dated December 28, in reply to my dispatches dated 7 and 8.30 p.m. December 27, has just been received. I desire to state to the commanding general that my note in regard to the forage was by no means intended as a complaint, but was simply designed to communicate a fact and inform him of my situation in regard to forage and other supplies, as I was instructed to do. I have no reason to suppose that the chief quartermaster has been at all remiss in getting up forage from the railroad terminus, for the truth is that it has required the entire capacity of my train to get up subsistence for the men for so long a distance. I did not suppose that it was the general's intention to cross the Tennessee River immediately, but supposing that it would be done at an early day with a view to further operations, it occurred to me