you hastened to our assistance while we were menaced by a powerful force of the enemy. Although you, with your command, had lately undergone the great hardships and exposure incident upon the glorious victory of Chattanooga, you cheerfully obeyed the order of your commanding general, and by a rapid and vigorous advance upon this place assisted in compelling the enemy to raise the siege and retreat to Virginia. Again I thank you.

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

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Major-General, Commanding.

Maj. General GORDON GRANGER,

Commanding Fourth Army Corps.

II.-PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 8.-A RESOLUTION of thanks to Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, and the officers and men who fought under his command.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress be, and they hereby are, presented to Maj. General Ambrose E. Burnside, and through him to the officers and men who have fought under his command, for their gallantry, good conduct, and soldier-like endurance.

SEC.2. And be it further resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause the foregoing resolution to be communicated to Major-General Burnside in such terms as he may deem best calculated to give effect thereto.

Approved January 28, 1864.

No. 5.

Reports of Maj. Gen. John G. Foster, U. S. Army, commanding Department of the Ohio.*

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, Knoxville, Tennessee, December 14, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that I arrived here on the evening of the 11th, and received the command from General Burnside on the 12th. General Parke was at that time near Rutledge with about 10,000 infantry, being the number of the Ninth and Twenty-third Army Corps, capable of marching and fighting. General Granger was here with two divisions of his corps [the Fourth]. General Elliott, with 2,500 cavalry, was at Kingston. The cavalry of this department were in front of Bean's Station, harassing the enemy near. I ordered General Elliott here to join my cavalry, so as to give us an equality of numbers of that arm with the enemy and enable us to overcome the checks which they constantly gave us. But, owing to conflicting orders received from General Thomas, General Elliott has not yet reported here. I have to-day sent new orders to General Elliott.

I find the commissariat of the department very destitute, there being only a few days' supplies of the most requisite parts of the

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*See also Foster's correspondence with Burnside, Grant, and Halleck, November 30-December 13, Part III.

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