On the afternoon of the 19th, I began getting the artillery over the steep and rocky pass of the Clinch Mountain above Bean's Station, and on the morning of the 20th renewed the march. Cavalry detachments were sent in advance to seize the passes and cross-roads leading toward Rogersville and Jonesville. A detachment was also sent toward Knoxville, with orders to return by way of Walker's Ford and Tazewell with information.

One party, Captain Hammond, scouted as far as Mulberry Gap toward Jonesville and surprised Slemp's Sixty-fourth or Sixty-fifth Virginia* in their camp, charged in, and drove them 3 miles, capturing and destroying a considerable portion of their arms and camp equipage. By these enterprises the slow-moving train arrived without molestation at Tazewell on the 19th, and at Cumberland Gap on the 20th. Beyond a day or two's half rations of bread and small stores for my men, I found no more stores at the gap than were required for the garrison, under Colonel Lemert, for thirty days, and the road to Camp Nelson had become impassable for wagons by the rise of the river. I was therefore compelled to scatter my command for forage and subsistence.

In order to watch and threaten Ransom, who was on the Kingsport and Rogersville road, Garrard's brigade was ordered to camp near Evans' Ford, with scouts near Bean's Station and headquarters at Big Springs. Graham's brigade occupied the Walker's Ford route to Knoxville. The camp of dismounted cavalry and Foster's division headquarters were at Tazewell; the infantry at Cumberland Gap, Powell's Bridge, and on the Jacksborough road. I communicated with Captain Hall, quartermaster at Camp Nelson, who started 1,000 horses for me to remount the cavalry. I was also able to get some ammunition from a train at Barboursville by means of a footbridge which we built at Cumberland Ford. But the men were suffering for food; corn was scarce; the hogs we had got by foraging on the Chucky and French Broad were dying with the cholera, and the weather was very severe. There was some wheat in the Powell River Valley, but the enemy controlled it with their force at Jonesville, and Colonel Lemert had abandoned to them all the mills on the river. I communicated the situation of affairs to Major-General Halleck, commander-in-chief, and to Major-General Grant, commanding the Western Grand Division, and transmitted the intelligence received through my scouts of the siege of Knoxville and General Burnside's situation. They both directed that I should render General Burnside's every assistance in my power, but left it discretionary with me as to what course to pursue.

General Grant suggested that I should move upon Abingdon and attack the salt-works, in order to draw off Ransom and Jones and keep them from uniting their forces with Longstreet. I had already ordered Lemert, who had some good cavalry of an Illinois regiment, to send an expedition to Jonesville, which lies on the road to Abingdon. He sent Major Beeres, with 300 men, who attacked the rebels at Jonesville, and drove them across Powell River, killing and capturing quite a number. I now made strenuous efforts to fit out the command for an advance to Abingdon. Five hundred of Foster's cavalry were remounted with the horses from Camp Nelson, and some horseshoes were obtained. The mills on Powel River were set to grinding corn and wheat, and some beef was found. Colonel Davis' mounted force was sent toward Jacksborough, and drove off the

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*The Sixty-fourth was Slemp's regiment.

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