PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



733 



delighted. All fears and apprehensions were dis- 

 pelled. I am not yet satisfied but that General Tho- 

 mas, immediately upon the appearance of Hood be- 

 fore Nashville, and before he had time to fortify, 

 should have moved out with his whole force and 

 given him battle, instead of waiting to remount his 

 cavalry, which delayed him until the inclemency of 

 the weather made it impracticable to attack earlier 

 than he did. But his final defeat of Hood was so 

 complete that it will be accepted as a vindication of 

 that distinguished officer's judgment. 



After Hood's defeat at Nashville he retreated, 

 closely pursued by cavalry and infantry, to the Ten- 

 nessee River, being forced to abandon many pieces 

 of artillery and most of his transportation. On the 

 28th of December our advance forces ascertained 

 that he had made good his escape to the south side 

 of the river. 



About this time, the rains having set in heavily in 

 Tennessee and North Alabama, mating it difficult to 

 move army transportation and artillery, General 

 Thomas stopped the pursuit by his main force at the 

 Tennessee River. A small force of cavalry, under 

 Colonel W. J. Palmer, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Vol- 

 unteers, continued to follow Hood for some distance, 

 capturing considerable transportation and the ene- 

 my's pontoon bridge. The details of these operations 

 will be found clearly set forth in General Thomas's 

 report. 



A cavalry expedition, under Brevet Major-General 

 Grierson, started from Memphis on the 21st of De- 

 cember. On the 25th he surprised and captured 

 .Forrest's dismounted camp at Verona, Mississippi, 

 on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, destroyed the rail- 

 road, sixteen cars loaded with wagons and pontoons 

 for Hood's army, 4,000 new English carbines, and 

 large amounts of public stores. On the morning of 

 the 28th he attacked and captured a force of the 

 enemy at Egypt, and destroyed a train of fourteen 

 cars ; thence turning to the southwest, he struck the 

 Mississippi Central Railroad at Winona, destroyed the 

 factories and large amounts of stores at Bankston, and 

 the machine shops and public property at Grenada, 

 arriving at Vicksburg January 5th. 



During these operations in Middle Tennessee, the 

 enemy, with a force under General Breckinridge, en- 

 tered East Tennessee. On the 13th of November, he 

 attacked General Gillem, near Morristown, capturing 

 his artillery and several hundred prisoners. Gillem, 

 with what was left of his command, retreated to 

 Knoxville. Following up his success, Breckinridge 

 moved to near Knoxville, but withdrew on the 18th, 

 followed by General Ammen. Under the directions 

 of General Thomas, General Stoneman concentrated 

 the commands of Generals Burbridge and Gillem 

 near Bean's Station, to operate against Breckinridge, 

 and destroy or drive him into Virginia destroy the 

 salt works at Saltville, and the railroad into Virginia 

 as far as he could go without endangering his com- 

 mand. On the 12th of December he commenced his 

 movement, capturing and dispersing the enemy's 

 force wherever he met them. On the 16th he struck 

 the enemy, under Vaugn, at Marion, completely 

 routing and pursuing him to Wytheville, capturing 

 all his artillery, trains, and one hundred and ninety- 

 eight prisoners ; and destroyed Wytheville, with its 

 stores and supplies, and the extensive lead works 

 near there. Returning to Marion, he met a force 

 under Breckinridge, consisting, among other troops, 

 of the garrison of Saltville, that had started in pur- 

 suit. He at once made arrangements to attack it 

 the next morning ; but morning found Breckinridge 

 gone. He then moved directly to Saltville, and de- 

 stroyed the extensive salt works at that place, a large 

 amount of stores, and captured eight pieces of artil- 

 lery. Having thus successfully executed his instruc- 

 tions, he returned General Burbridge to Lexington 

 and General Gillem to Knoxville. 



Wilmington, North Carolina, was the most import- 

 ant sea-coast port left to the enemy through which 



to get supplies from abroad, and send cotton and 

 other products out by blockade-runners, besides be- 

 ing a place of great strategic value. The navy had 

 been making strenuous exertions to seal the harbor 

 of Wilmington, but with only partial effect. The 

 nature of the outlet of Cape Fear River was such that 

 it required watching for so great a distance that, 

 without possession of the land north of New Inlet, or 

 Fort Fisher, it was impossible for the navy to entire- 

 ly close the harbor against the entrance of blockade- 

 runners. 



To secure the possession of this land required the 

 cooperation of a land force, which I agreed to fur- 

 nish. I immediately commenced the assemblage in 

 Hampton Roads, under Admiral D. D. Porter, 01 the 

 most formidable armada ever collected for concen- 

 tration upon one given point. This necessarily at- 

 tracted the attention of the enemy, as well as that of 

 the loyal North ; and through the imprudence of the 

 public press, and very likely of officers of both 

 branches of service, the exact object of the expedi- 

 tion became a subject of common discussion in the 

 newspapers both North and South. The enemy, thus 

 warned, prepared to meet it. This caused a postpone- 

 ment of the expedition Until the latter part of Novem- 

 ber, when, being again called upon by Hon. G. V. 

 Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, I agreed to fur- 

 nish the men required at once, and went myself, in com- 

 pany with Major-General Butler, to Hampton Roads, 

 where we had a conference with Admiral Porter as to 

 the force required and the time of starting. A force 

 of six thousand five hundred men was regarded as 

 sufficient. The time of starting was not definitely 

 arranged, but it was thought all would be ready by 

 the 6th of December, if not before. Learning, on 

 the 30th of November, that Bragg had gone to 

 Georgia, taking with him most of the forces about 

 Wilmington, I deemed it of the utmost importance 

 that the expedition should reach its destination be- 

 fore the return of Bragg, and directed General Butler 

 to make all arrangements for the departure of Major- 

 General Weitzel, who had been designated to com- 

 mand the land forces, so that the navy might not be 

 detained one moment. 



On the 6th of December, the following instructions 

 were given : 



CITY POINT, VA., December 6, 1864. 



GEJTEKAL: The first object of the expedition under Gen- 

 eral Weitzel is to close to the enemy the port of Wilmington. 

 If successful in this, the second will be to capture Wilming- 

 ton itself. There are reasonable grounds to hope for success, 

 if advantage can be taken of the absence of the greater part 

 of the enemy's forces now looking after Sherman in Georgia. 

 The directions you have given for the numbers and equip- 

 ment of the expedition are all right, except in the unimpor- 

 tant matter of where they embark and the amount of in- 

 trenching tools to be taken. The object of the expedition 

 will be gained by effecting a landing on the main land be- 

 tween Cape Fear Eiver and the Atlantic, north of the north 

 entrance to the river. Should such landing be effected 

 whilst the enemy still holds Fort Fisher and the batteries 

 guarding the entrance to the river, then the tooops should 

 intrench themselves, and, by cooperating with the navy, 

 eft'ect the reduction and capture of those places. These m 

 our hands, the navy could enter the harbor, and the port of 

 Wilmington could be sealed. Should Fort Fisher and the 

 point of land on which it is built fall into the hands of our 

 troops immediately on landing, then it will be worth the at- 

 tempt to capture Wilmington oy a forced march and surprise. 

 If time is consumed in gaining the first object of the expe- 

 dition, the second will become a matter of after considera- 

 tion. 



The details for execution are intrusted to you and the offi- 

 cer immediately in command of the troops. 



Should the troops under General Weitzel fail to effect a 

 landing at or near Fort Fisher, they will be returned to the 

 armies operating against Richmond without delay. 



U. 8. GRANT, Lientenant-General. 



Major-General B. F. BCTLEK. 



General Butler, commanding the army from which 

 the troops were taken for this enterprise, and the 

 territory within which they were to operate, military 

 courtesy required that all orders and instructions 

 should go through him. They were so sent; but 



