render will entail disgrace. Brigadier-General Gresham will soon be marching across from Clifton to Pulaski, and thence in this direction with a respectable force, to be followed by the remaining brigades of Legget's and Crocker's divisions. Keep in communication with them whenever practicable, in order that they can come to your assistance if necessary.

I shall move my headquarters to Chattanooga, starting to-morrow evening. Telegraph me there if anything important occurs, and keep me advised, as fully as you can, of the movements of the enemy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. B. McPHERSON,

Major-General.

SENIOR AND SUPERVISING QUARTERMASTER'S OFFICE,

DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,

Nashville, Tenn., May 1, 1864.

[General MEIGS:]

DEAR GENERAL: Sherman moves on the 5th, and I am doing all I can to help him. The railroad is overtaxed, but McCallum is with us, and he is a host just now. What a fortunate thing it was Anderson was removed. If General Grant had not done it, we would have been paralyzed now. I am at present moving all the troops I can to the front, to the exclusion of everything else, and fortunately our cars have increased, or I could not have accomplished the work. I do an immense deal now, but have good assistants, and I hope shortly to get a good man in place of Crane, who is not equal to his position. I have urged McCallum to ask for Colonel Hopkins (Slocum's chief quartermaster), who has just lost his place by the breaking up of his corps, consolidated with Eleventh under Hooker. You will be surprised to learn that I am absolutely getting stout. I think hard work agrees with me, and if I could only throw off a certain sleeplessness, I think I would become a better man than I was twenty years ago. But to the railroad: I shall put Captain Brown, whom I have taken from Clarksville, relieving him with Captain Williams from Murfreesborough, and put him in charge of freight on the Chattanooga road. It is impossible for Crane, even if he had the capacity, to attend to both properly, and now that the campaign opens, I must have that department well managed, or we shall have disaster. On the whole I feel encouraged. I think I shall be able to supply the army, and see no grave mistake, or any want of foresight being shown. Mules are coming forward freely, and we wont be much behind in them or in artillery horses, but cavalry horses are nowhere, and Laus Deo we are not responsible for their not being here in time. I have taken every suitable animal I can find in Nashville and vicinity, and cleaned out my depot, putting most of my employees on mules. Sherman will have a movable column of 80,000. I don't believe Johnston will be able to muster over 60,000. Sherman will move if he has to eat his mules, and it cannot be long before there will be a battle.

Very truly,

J. L. DONALDSON.

I think Sherman will give Hopkins to McCallum.

J. L. D.

P. S.- Am just in receipt of a telegram from Easton. He cannot give us Hopkins. McCallum has gone to the front. As soon as he returns