III. Colonel Lyon will establish a line of couriers between Kingston and General Longstreet's headquarters.

IV. Colonel Hart, Sixth Georgia Cavalry, will report for duty with his command to Brigadier-General Martin.

V. Captain George Turner will proceed to the headquarters of Brigadier-General Wright, at Charleston, Tennessee, and learn more particularly regarding the depredations said to have been committed by the cavalry in that vicinity, to which General Wright in his letter of the 10th instant [November, 1863] [refers].

* * * * *

IX. Brig. Gen. W. Y. C. Humes will proceed to Dalton, Ga., and report to Brig. General H. B. Davidson for assignment to the cavalry brigade composed of the following named regiments: First [Sixth] Tennessee Regiment, Colonel J. T. Wheeler; First Tennessee Regiment, Colonel Carter; Second Tennessee Regiment, Fourth Tennessee Regiment, Colonel Baxter Smith; Fifth Tennessee Regiment.

By order of Major-General Wheeler:

E. S. BURFORD,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[NOVEMBER 20-DECEMBER 2, 1863.-For dispatches and orders from Bragg, Breckinridge, J. C. Brown, Cooper, Gibson, Hardee, Jackson, L. E. Polk, Stevenson, and Wheeler, relating to the Chattanooga-Ringgold campaign, see Part II.]

NOVEMBER 20, 1863.

General BRAGG:

We drove the enemy's skirmishers and pickets into his lines of defense yesterday. His position here is stronger than at Chattanooga. He gives no sign of moving out to meet us, nor of attempting to escape; it is hardly possible for him to escape. I think his force cannot be less than 20,000. I cannot invest him completely, but have closed all the avenues to the town pretty well, and have them strongly guarded. It seems to be a question of starvation with the enemy, or to re-enforce. If he attempts the latter, we can beat him in both directions. Let us catch this party, as it is now in our power, or seems to be. Hurry the Virginia troops up to help me to shut up the place.

J. LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS, November 20, 1863-9 p.m.

Maj. Gen. JOSEPH WHEELER,
Commanding Cavalry:

GENERAL: The lieutenant-general commanding desires that you will send him as early as you can to-morrow morning Hart's or any other good brigade of cavalry. He wishes to send it across the river below this point.

I am, general, your obedient servant,

G. M. SORREL,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Assistant Adjutant-General.

46 R R-VOL XXXI, PT III