road leading from his left rear along the rear of the Fifteenth Army Corps, striking the railroad at the same point as the Fourth Division, where he will await further orders. Upon moving beyond the railroad the Third Division will take the advance.

By command of Major General Frank P. Blair:

ROWLAND COX,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[JULY 26, 1864.- For General Orders, Numbers 8, headquarters Seventeenth Army Corps, conferring a medal of honor upon Private George J. Reynolds, Company D, Fifteenth Iowa Infantry, for recovering the body of General McPherson, &c., see Part III, p. 556.]

NEAR ATLANTA, GA., July 27, 1864.

(Received 12.05 a. m. 29th.)

His Excellency President LINCOLN,

Washington:

SIR: You dispatch of yesterday is received. I beg you will not regard me as fault finding, for I assert that I have been well sustained in every respect during my entire service. I did not suppose my dispatches go outside the offices at the War Department. I did not suppose you were troubled with such things. Hovey and Osterhaus are not worthy men, and had they been promoted on the eve of the Vicksburg campaign, it would have been natural and well accepted; but I do not think you will admit that their promotion, coming to us when they had gone to the rear, the one offended because I could not unite in the same division five infantry and five cavalry regiments, and the other for temporary sickness. You can see how ambitious aspirants for military fame regard these things. They come to me and point them out as evidences that I am wrong in encouraging them to a silent, patient discharge of duty. I assure you that every general of my army has spoken of it and referred to it as avoidance that promotion results from importunity and not from actual service. I have refrained from recommending any thus far in the campaign, as I thing we should reach some stage in the game before stopping to balance accounts or writing history. I assure you that I do think you have conscientiously acted throughout the war with marked skill in the matter of military appointments, and that as few mistakes have been made as could be expected. I will furnish all my army and division commanders with a copy of your dispatch, that they may feel reassured.

With great respect,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

NEAR ATLANTA, GA., July 27, 1864 - 8.30 p. m.

(Received 8 p. m. 28th.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Washington, D. C.:

My two cavalry expeditions are off to make a wide circuit and reach the Macon road well to the southeast of Atlanta, and the Army of the Tennessee is shifted to the extreme right, reaching well toward the railroad, so that I think to-morrow must develop something. The cavalry will