CHATTANOOGA, November 29, 1863.

Colonel R. K. BYRD,

Commanding Post, Kingston, Tennessee:

Inclosed please find dispatch in duplicate for Major-General Burnside, commanding at Knoxville. The one in General Grant's own handwriting, and marked A, you will send by some one whom you can trust, with instructions to let it fall into the hands of the enemy without fail. The other, marked B, and not in the general's handwriting, though signed by him, you must get to General Burnside at all hazards and at the earliest possible moment.

By order of Major-General Grant:

JOHN A. RAWLINS,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

[Inclosure.]

CHATTANOOGA, November 29, 1863.

Maj. General A. E. BURNSIDE,

Knoxville, Tennessee:

I congratulate you on the tenacity with which you have thus far held out against vastly superior forces. Do not be forced into a surrender by short rations. Take all the citizens have to enable you to hold out yet a few days longer. As soon as you are relieved from the presence of the enemy, you can replace to them everything taken from them.

Within a few days you will be relieved. There are now three columns in motion for your relief-one from here moving up the south bank of the river under Sherman, one from Decherd under Elliott, and one from Cumberland Gap under Foster.

These three columns will be able to crush Longstreet's forces or drive them from the valley, and must all of them be within twenty-four hours' march of you by the time this reaches you, supposing you to get it on Tuesday, the 1st instant.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

BARBOURSVILLE, November 29, 1863.

Maj. General U. S. GRANT:

Your dispatch is received. The roads are so bad that I have only got this far, but hope to get to Cumberland Gap to-morrow night I will do all I can to aid in crushing Longstreet, and thus add another to the already great results of your glorious victories. I propose to cut the Virginia railroad if possible; the cavalry will then try to unite with your cavalry as soon as it arrives. I have directed General Willcox to send your order to General Burnside with all dispatch.

J. G. FOSTER,

Major-General.

CUMBERLAND GAP, November 29, 1863-12.15 p.m.

Major-General GRANT:

GENERAL: Dispatch of 7.50 a.m., November 28, to General Foster, received. General Foster not arrived. I started a copy by a trusty courier to General Burnside. Hope it will get through.

O. B. WILLCOX,

Brigadier-General.

18 R R-VOL XXXI, PT III