92 Ten Years of my Life. 



most able general had, in September, conquered Atlanta 

 (Georgia), and was preparing for his bold march across the 

 heart of the enemy's country towards Savannah, Georgia. 



Preparations were made to meet General Hood, and as it 

 was likely that he would try to take Bridgeport, we expected 

 every moment to be attacked by his army. Believing, however, 

 the position too strong, and fearing delay, he crossed the Tennes- 

 see at some other place and advanced against Nashville. Gene- 

 ral Steedman received therefore orders to join with his troops 

 General Thomas in that city, and to leave only a few troops 

 to protect the principal points between Stevenson and Chatta- 

 nooga. Salm was very eager to take part in the expected bat- 

 tles, and on his request General Steedman detailed him on his 

 staft'. The general telegraphed that he would arrive in the 

 afternoon ; Salm made himself ready, and we waited for the 

 arrival of the troops in Colonel Taylor's quarters, where we 

 whiled away the time with eating, and drinking Catawba cham- 

 pagne, for the trains kept us waiting until eleven o'clock p. m. 

 The general, who had eleven trains with him crammed with 

 troops, was sitting with his staff in an empty baggage waggon 

 on trunks and boxes. We had expected that his troops would 

 make the road to Nashville free, and intended to depart for 

 Washington a few days later. We therefore were by no means 

 agreeably surprised on hearing from the general that the train 

 which he brought with him was the last running, and that we 

 would have to wait in Bridgeport until General Hood was 

 beaten. 



With the beginning of December frost set in, which impeded 

 somewhat the military operations, and delayed the decision 

 until the middle of the month. The frost was of unusual 

 severity for these latitudes, and though the weather was fine ii 

 was cold, and we might even have skated on the ponds of the 

 island if we had been able to procure skates. 



During this state of suspense, and whilst Hood was besieg- 

 ing General Thomas in the tolerably well-fortified city of 

 Nashville, we passed our time as agreeably as possible. 'We 

 received now and then visits from the generals left in Chatta- 

 nooga and Stevenson, and, amongst others, from the Generals 

 Brannon and Granger, whom we entertained as well as we 

 could, and whom Corvin and Groeben astonished by the won- 

 derful punch which they brewed from conimissariat whisky, 



