reported in person to General Sherman at Charleston on the evening of November 30. The troops of the Eleventh Corps were at that time engaged in repairing the bridge across the Hiwassee at that place. At the suggestion of General Sherman, I examined it and found that the injury done could soon be repaired. The rebels had sawed the string-pieces of only one span in two, so that the trestle upon which they rested had fallen against the one adjacent, leaving a breach of about 30 feet to be repaired. New string-pieces were soon obtained and put in their place; the entire bridge was then planked over with materials which the enemy had sawed for the purpose of rebuilding a truss bridge in the place of the old one. By morning it was ready for the passage of troops. This work was done by Colonel Asmussen and Major Hoffmann, of General Howard's staff.

General Granger's command crossed the Hiwassee at Kincannon's Ferry, using a steam-boat and several flats.

On the 3rd of December, at 11 a.m., the advance of Sherman's column reached the Little Tennessee River, 15 miles from its junction with the Holston at a point opposite the village of Morganton. That place was selected under the expectation that our troops might be crossed through the ford said to be there. The ford, however, was found to be 3 1/2 feet deep, with a hard gravel bottom, but full of uneven spots. In addition to this, the stream is 240 yards wide and quite swift. The temperature of the water at the time was 37 Fahrenheit. These facts rendered it difficult and unsafe to undertake to use the ford. Having no pontoon train and but two poor flat-boats capable of carrying 40 or 50 men each, we were compelled to devise means of building a bridge. The enemy not having shown himself, troops were gradually ferried across by the boats till a sufficient force was on the northern side of the river to furnish working parties and establish pickets.

Under the direction of Captain Cassell, of General Ewing's staff, a number of unoccupied frame and hewed log-houses were selected and torn down. The timber thus obtained was hauled to the river by the troops and wagons obtained in the town; the square stuff was framed into trestles by the pioneer company of Ewing's division, and the planks got ready for decking. The site selected for the bridge was along the axis of the ford, to avoid the deep water above and below and secure good approaches.

The working parties, detailed by chance from infantry regiments, were divided into four sections, each under reliable officers. The first, on the south side of the river, was directed to get out green logs for abutments and crib-piers; the second was directed to prepare the approach and build the abutment; the third, on the north side, was to prepare the abutment and the road up the bank, and the fourth was ordered to assist the pioneers in building the brigade itself.

The work was commenced at dark and continued till the part up accidentally fell. This was occasioned by neglecting to counteract the shore thrust against the trestles by bracing or tieing. The work was fairly begun again by daylight, and completed by 8 p.m. the same day.

The bridge was 240 yards long; two bays in the shallowest water next the bank on the south side were of split timber, resting on oaklog cribs 15 feet apart; the balance was of trestles.

The trestles were composed of cap and ground sills, 10 feet long