to move down and join me and aid me in reducing the enemy, or to aid me in the event that a small succoring force should attempt to relieve Knoxville.

On December 1, Colonel Giltner, commanding one of General Ransom's brigades of cavalry, reported to me that he had received orders from General Ransom that he (Colonel Giltner), with his brigade, should rejoin General Ransom.

On the same day a courier from General Grant was captured,bearing an autograph letter to General Burnside with the information that three columns were advancing to his relief-one by the south side, under General Sherman; one by Decherd, under General Elliott, and one by Cumberland Gap, under General Foster. The enemy were then reported as pressing our forces below Loudon with superior numbers. General Vaughn, in command at Loudon, had been ordered to move all stores that he could haul to the north side of the river, and to be prepared, in case the enemy marched against him with superior forces, to destroy such property as he could not remove, and to cross the river with his troops and join me at Knoxville. General Leadbetter, who was at Loudon before this, had been requested by me to order General Vaughn to rejoin General Bragg's army by passing through the mountains, if he though it practicable.

Major-General Wheeler wrote about the same time for the cavalry of General Bragg's army serving with me to be returned to that army. As I was cut off from all communication and entirely dependent upon the surrounding country for supplies, and threatened from all sides, I did not think it prudent to dispense with the cavalry and declined to send it. As General Vaughn was not sent to General Bragg, as suggested, and was seriously threatened by the enemy in his rear (the enemy's force at Kingston also being reported as increasing), he was ordered to destroy everything that he could not remove that would be of value to the enemy, and to proceed to join me at Knoxville. As our position at Knoxville was somewhat complicated, I determined to abandon the siege and to draw off in the direction of Virginia, with an idea that we might find an opportunity to strike that column of the enemy's forces reported to be advancing by Cumberland Gap.

The orders to move, in accordance with this view, were issued on December 2.

Our trains were put in motion on the 3rd to cross the Holston at Strawberry Plains, escorted by Generals Law's and Robertson's brigades, of Hood's division, and one of Alexander's batteries.

On the night of the 4th, the troops were withdrawn from the west side of Knoxville and marched around to the east side, when they took up a line of march along the north bank of the Holston River. General Martin,with his own and General Ransom's cavalry, was left at Knoxville to cover the movement. As our march was not interrupted by the enemy, we were enabled to reach Blain's Cross-Roads on the afternoon of the 5th, where we met General Ransom with the infantry and artillery of his command.

On the 6th, we marched to Rutledge, where we remained until the 8th. As there was no indication of a force moving from Cumberland Gap, I did not feel that I should keep General Bragg's cavalry any longer' and as the enemy's cavalry had moved out, and seemed disposed to annoy us-I could not remain so near him and depend upon our small cavalry force to protect our foraging trains-I concluded