Nashville, Jan. 17, 1864.
. . . Everything is
quiet here and will be until supplies can be got forward to the troops at
Chattanooga and Knoxville. Had a sufficiency of supplies been at the latter
place when General Grant was there a few days ago, he would have undertaken to
drive Longstreet out of East Tennessee. As it was all he could do was to move
troops out, to contest with him the foraging ground in the vicinity. Daily
collisions may be expected between our forces and the enemy. Sherman has gone
to Vicksburg, and will organize there a heavy force for immediate operations.
In the meantime we will use all the means in our power to forward supplies to
the front and be ready if possible to move when he does; although you may hear
of no immediate and startling events, you may know we are not idle, but that
every preparation is being made for conflicts which will shake the continent
ere this terrible tragedy closes.
SOURCE: James H. Wilson, The Life of John A. Rawlins,
p. 385
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