CHIEF QUARTERMASTER'S OFFICE,

DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,

Nashville, Tenn., January 10, 1865.

Major General M. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General, Washington:

DEAR GENERAL: I have your note, and am sorry Mrs. D. will not be able to proceed at once to Savannah. She ought to have it, for I cannot go, and most of our means is involved. She has gone East to make the attempt, and she will have seen you before you receive this. Thomas left yesterday for Eastport, where he is concentrating. I saw him on board, and he opened his heart to me. He feels very sore at the rumored intentions to relieve him, and the major-generally does not cicatrize wound. You know Thomas is morbidly sensitive, and it cut him to the heart to think that it was contemplated to remove him. He does not blame the Secretary, for he said Mr. Stanton was a fair and just man. In bidding him good-by, Thomas took occasion to speak again of the department. He said it was the most thorough and complete thing he had ever seen; that it had done everything he could desire for his army, and that you and myself had reasons to be proud of it. I told him that we had tried do sustain the army; that the breaking of the Chattanooga road after Steedman came up, by which we were cut off from the entire transportation concentrated there, as well as the coming of A. J. Smith's corps without a single wagon, have severely taxed the depot; but we have managed to pull through, and though we could not equip his entire army with transportation, we have given it enough to fight and pursue the enemy to the Tennessee River. Eastport is but a temporary depot till he crosses the Tennessee and moves out, when it will be broken up. Thomas now has the fragments of three armies, and they should be concentrated and consolidated into once. The depot at Johnsonville will be re-established. The railroad is badly damaged, and will not reopen before the 10th or 15th of next month. In the mean time the wrecks there should be removed, as they obstruct both channel and levee.

Very truly, yours.

J. L. DONALDSON,

Chief Quartermaster.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS,
Huntsville, Ala., January 10, 1865.

Brigadier-General DONALDSON,

Chief Quartermaster, Department of the Cumberland:

The country adjacent to this place for many miles has been exhausted of forage; consequently to procure it from the country, if indeed it be possible at all, it will be necessary to send a distance varying from twenty to forty miles. To send so far will keep the transportation of the corps so constantly occupied that it will be impossible to recruit the animals, shoe them up, and repair the wagons. I must hence request that you will ship place to meet a daily consumption of 60,000 will not do us.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

TH. J. WOOD,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

36 R R-VOL XLVI, PT II