HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, October 20, 1863.

Major-General GRANT,

Louisville:

GENERAL: In compliance with my promise, I now proceed to give you a brief statement of the objects aimed at by General Rosecrans' and General Burnside's movement into East Tennessee, and of the measures directed to be taken to attain theses objects. It has been the constant desire of the Government from the beginning of the war to secure the loyal inhabitants of East Tennessee from the hands of the rebels, who fully appreciated the importance of continuing their-hold upon that country. In addition to the large amount of agricultural products drawn from the upper valley of the Tennessee, they also abstained iron and other military materials from the vicinity of Chattanooga. The possession of East Tennessee would cut off one their most important railroad communications, and threaten their manufactories at Rome, Atlanta, &c. When General Buell was ordered into, East Tennessee in the summer of 1862, Chattanooga was comparatively unprotected; but Bragg reached there before buell, and by threatening his communications, forced him to retreat on Nashville and Louisville. Again, after the battle of Perryville, General Buell was urged to pursue Bragg's defeated army and drive it from East Tennessee. The same was urged upon his successor; but the lateness of the season or other causes prevented further operations after the of Stone's River. Last spring, when your movements on the Mississippi River had drawn out of Tennessee a large force of the enemy, I again urged upon General Rosecrans to take advantage of that opportunity to carry out his projected plan of captain, General Burnside being ready to co-operate with a diminished but still effective force. But he could not be persuaded to act in time, preferring to lie still till your campaign should be terminated. I represented to him, but without avail, that by this delay Johnston might be able to re-enforce Bragg with the troops then operating against you. When General Rosecrans finally determined to advance, he was allowed to select his own lines and plans for the carrying out the objects of the expedition. He was directed, however, to report his movements daily till he crossed the Tennessee, and to connect his left, so far as possible, with General Burnside's right. General Burnside was directed to move simultaneously, connecting his right, as far as possible, with General Rosecrans' left, so that, it the enemy concentrated upon either army, the other could move to its assistance. When General Burnside reached Kingston and Knoxville, and found no considerable number of enemy in East Tennessee, he was instructed to move down to the river and co-operate with General Rosecrans. These instructions were repeated some fifteen times, but were not carried out, General Burnside alleging, as an excuse, that he believed Bragg was in retreat, and that General Rosecrans needed no re-enforcements. When the latter had gained possession of Chattanooga, he was directed not to move on Rome, as he proposed, but simply to hold the mountain passes, so as to prevent the ingress of the rebels into East Tennessee. That object accomplished, I considered the campaign as ended, at least for the present. Future operations would depend upon the ascertained strength and movements of the enemy. In other words, the main objects of the captain