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PRESIDENT DAVIS transferred me
BUZZARD-ROOST GAP. FROM A WAR-TIME SKETCH.
from the Department of Mississipp 1to the command of the Army of Ten-nessee by a telegram received Decem-ber 18th, 18(13, in the camp of Ross’sbrigade of cavalry near Bolton. 1assumed that command at Dalton onthe 27tli, and received there, on the 1stof January, a letter from the Presidentdated December 23d, purporting to be“ instructions.”
In it he, in Richmond , informed meof the encouraging condition of the army, which “ induced him to hope thatI would soon be able to commence active operations against the enemy'the men being “ tolerably ” well clothed, with a large reserve of small-arms,the morning reports exhibiting an effective total that exceeded in number“ that actually eugaged on the Confederate side in any battle of the war.”Yet this army itself had lost in the recent campaign at least 25,000 men Taction, while 17,000 had been transferred from it in Longstreot’s corps, aiHthe two brigades (Quarles’s and Baldwin’s) that had been sent to Mississippi >so that it was then weaker by 40,000 men than it had been when “ engage 1 !on the Confederate side” in the battle of Chickamauga , in the Septemberpreceding.
In the inspections, which were made as soon as practicable, the appearanceof the army was very far from being “matter of much congratulation-”Instead of a reserve of muskets there was a deficiency of six thousand andas great a one of blankets, while the number of bare feet was painful to see-The artillery horses were too feeble to draw the guns in fields, or on a march,and the mules were in similar condition; while the supplies of forage werethen very irregular, and did not include hay. In consequenco of this, hwas necessary to send all of these animals not needed for camp service tothe valley of the Etowah, where long forage could be found, to restore themhealth and strength.
The last return of the army was of December 20th, and exhibited an effect-ive total of less than 36,000, of whom 6000 were without arms and as maiTwithout shoes. The President impressed upon mo the importance of recover-ing Tennessee with an army in such numbers and condition. On pages 548-!*)Vol. II. of his work, “ The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government,” h 0dwells upon his successful efforts to increase its numbers and means tiff 6 'quately. After the strange assertions and suggestions of December 23d, hedid not resume the subject of military operations until, in a letter of T°b-ruary 27th to him through his staff-officer General Bragg, I pointed out the
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