Headquarters Third Division,
Detachment Army Of The Tennessee,
in The Field, Sunday, Jan. 15, 1865.
I am now once more fairly in the field, and at the head of
my command. My tent is pitched upon a pleasant knoll in a very hilly, almost
mountainous country, from whence I have a view of the Tennessee river, and
parts of three States, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. The ground is
gravelly and the forests pine, so that I keep comparatively dry; the floor of
my tent is carpeted with pine boughs that make a pleasant smell. For some days
past the weather has been delightful, clear, bright and warm, yet bracing.
Already the rose and briar are putting forth green leaves and bulbous roots are
springing from the ground. The atmosphere is about as it would be in your
latitude, say the 1st of May, or thereabouts. My health improves, bowels decidedly
better, appetite pretty good, and the most that troubles me now is a tendency
to take cold, cold with an irritation of the throat. This is to be expected,
for I could hardly go from careful nursing directly into the field without some
shock to the system.
My command is not yet thoroughly organized, and I have some
new appointments of staff officers to make; in the course of a day or two I
shall publish my staff, and will send you a copy. . . . I have three brigades;
our detachments are about being organized into a corps of three divisions, each
division of three brigades. The division commanders are General McArthur,
General Garrard (Kenna Garrard of West Point, oldest son of Mrs. McLean), and
myself, all under command of Gen. A. J. Smith.
A large mail has come to-day with the fleet that brought up
General Thomas and troops, but I am disappointed in finding nothing for me.
SOURCE: Walter George Smith, Life and letters of
Thomas Kilby Smith, p. 378-9
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