18

THE MARCH TO THE SEA.

forward with the advance, and when he reached Nashville next day, Thomas had just received the first alarming newsfrom Johnsonville, and hurried Schofield in person wdth Gal­ lup ’s brigade (the first of the Twenty-third Corps to arrive)to Gillem’s Station, on the railway from Nashville to thoabandoned post. Finding no enemy near Gillem’s, Scho-field marched to Johnsonville on the Gth, and was able togive Thomas the truth as to the disgraceful affair. GeneralCooper, with Gallup ’s and Moore’s brigades of his division,were placed at Johnsonville for a time, with orders to fortifyit in accordance with a general plan prepared by the engi-neers. Schofield returned to Nashville , whence he was senton the 11th by Thomas to Pulaski, to assume command ofthe forces assembling there. The remainder of the Twenty-third Corps reached Nashville on the 9tli, and went forwardby easy stages. On the 15th, Schofield had at Pulaski theFourth Corps and Cox’s division of the Twenty-third, Strick-land’s brigade of the latter corps was at Columbia, and thecavalry under General Hatch was covering the front andright, toward Florence and Waynesboro.

When the Fourth and Twenty-third Corps reported toThomas, and even before the arrival of A. J. Smith with thedivisions of the Sixteenth Corps, his official returns showeda force present for duty just about equal to that of Hood,though differently divided, being stronger in infantry andweaker in cavalry. The latter numbered 5,591, being lessthan half Hood’s strength in that arm, but the infantry andartillery were 48,975. 1 When this force should be increased

1 These figures give the “ present for duty ” on October 81st, and were distrib-uted as follows: Fourth Corps , 12,881; Twenty-third Corps, 10,624; cavalry,5,591; District of Tennessee , 18,661; unassigned detachments, 7,359—total,54,566. This does not include the District of Etowah under Steedman, whichfirst appears in Thomas’s report for November 20th, and which numbered 6,431.The official returns for subsequent dates will be found in Appendix A.