I am, sir, very respectfully yours, DABNEY MAURY, Major-General Commanding. To Col. JOHN FORSYTH, Mobile. The Governor of Alabama, upon the first advance of the Federal troops from Vicksburg, issued the following address to the people : EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT OF ALABAMA, MONTGOMERY, February 6, 1864. To the People of Alabama: The recent action of Congress has deprived the State of much of the materials of the second-class militia. It is important to the defence of the State, that Alabama shall have more troops subject to the call of her Commander-in-chief. We have, within the State, the materials for an efficient army. It needs nothing but the spirit, the prompt and willing spirit to fight, as men ought to fight, to guard our firesides and drive the hireling Yankee from our borders. We are threatened with raids into the heart of the State. As your Executive Chief I call upon the middle aged, the young men and boys, to organize into companies at once, and report, without delay, that they are organized and ready. I cannot suppose that Alabamians will wait to be drafted into the service. The enthusiastic reenlistment of our veteran troops in the Virginia and Tennessee armies has caused a thrill of joyful hope to animate the hearts of even the croaking and despondent. If these battle-scarred heroes, who for three years have carried their lives in their hands, ready to be sacrificed in the defence of their homes and liberty, are willing to battle on while the feet of a hated foe press our soil, shall we at home be laggards in the race of glory? I trust no such damning stigma shall rest upon the honored name of Alabama. I confidently expect a hearty, prompt, and noble response to this call. The rolls of companies will be reported to the Adjutant-General. T. H. WATTS, Governor of Alabama. The force of Gen. Sherman consisted of two corps under Gen. McPherson and Hurlbut, estimated at thirty thousand men, with sixty pieces of light artillery. He reached Jackson on February 6th, and pressed forward toward Meridian. The enemy fell back, destroying all provision, and making a desert of the country. From Jackson Gen. Sherman crossed the Pearl River, and passed through Brandon to Morton. Here the enemy had made dispositions for a battle, but retired during the night. On the next day the army advanced and reached Meridian. The enemy state that all the Confederate Government property was previously removed, and nearly all the machinery of the railroad company. The force under Gen. Polk fell back across the Tombigbee. On his arrival at Meridian Gen. Sherman issued the following congratulatory address to his troops: HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, Į MERIDIAN, MISs., February 15, 1864. The General Commanding conveys his congratulations and thanks to the officers and men composing this command for their most successful accomplishment of one of the great problems of the war. Meridian, the great railway centre of the Southwest, is now in our possession, and by industry and hard work can be rendered useless to the enemy, and deprive him of the chief source of supply to his armies. Secrecy in plan and rapidity of execution accomplish the best results of war; and the General Commanding assures all that by following their leaders fearlessly and with confidence they will in time reap the reward so dear to us all-a peace that will never again be disturbed in our country by a discontented minority. W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General Commanding. By order of On the same day he issued the following instructions: HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, 1. The destruction of the railroads intersecting at Meridian is of great importance, and should be done most effectually. Every tie and rail for many miles in each direction should be absolutely destroyed or injured, and every bridge and culvert should be comHurlbut is entrusted the destruction east and north, pletely destroyed. To insure this end, to General and to General McPherson the roads west and south. The troops should be impressed with the importance of this work, and also that time is material, and therefore it should be begun at once and be prosecuted with all the energy possible. Working parties should be composed of about one-half the command, and they should move by regiments, provided with their arms and haversacks, ready to repel attacks of cavalry. The other half in reserve will be able to watch the enemy retreating eastward. 2. Colonel E. F. Winslow, commanding cavalry, will keep his cavalry in advance of the party working eastward, and will act as though this army were slowly pursuing the enemy. 3. Special instructions will be given as to the general supply train; and the troops now in Meridian will, under proper brigade parties, collect meal, meat, and supplies. The destruction of buildings must be deferred till the last moment, when a special detail will be made for that purpose. By order of W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General Commanding. Gen. Sherman reports that while at Meridian he made "the most complete destruction of railroads ever beheld." This was done on the road running south as far as Quitman; on the east as far as Cuba Station, twenty miles; and two miles north to Lauderdale Springs. Lauderdale County was already desolate, and the country between Meridian and Demopolis was sterile and unproductive. While at Meridian he heard nothing of the cavalry force under Gen. W. S. Smith, who was ordered to be there from Memphis by February 10th; and after occupying the town for a week, and his supplies growing short, he began to fall back toward Vicksburg, making a circuit by the north to Canton. This place was reached February 26th. His total loss was reported at one hundred and seventy men killed and wounded. Meantime, Gen. W. S. Smith, who was ordered to report to Gen. Sherman at Meridian, moved from Memphis on February 11th, with a force of seven thousand men, consisting of cavalry and a brigade of infantry. After two days the expedition reached the Tallahatchie. A demonstration was made westward by the infantry toward Panola, thus attracting the attention of a force of the enemy, while the cavalry moved eastward to New Albany, where the river was crossed without opposition. Gen. Smith then pushed forward, and in the vicinity of Houston encountered some troops under Col. Gholson. They fell back to a swamp, where a considerable force was concentrated. Finding it impossible to turn either flank of this position, Gen. Smith moved rapidly eastward, while a demonstration was made in front of the enemy as if an attack was intended. On the same day he surprised and entered Okalona. The 9th Illinois cavalry, Lieut.-Col. Burgh, was then sent to Aberdeen to endeavor to secure a crossing of the Tombigbee. On the next morning Col. Grierson was sent forward with a brigade to support the 9th, with directions to threaten Columbus strongly. With the remaining force Gen. Smith advanced along the railroad toward West Point, tearing up the track and burning all the corn he found. The quantity which he destroyed is reported as nearly a million of bushels, with about two thousand bales of cotton. During this portion of the march negroes flocked to Gen. Smith by hundreds, mounted on their masters' horses and mules. They welcomed Gen. Smith as their deliverer whenever he met them: "God bless ye; has yer come at last? We've been lookin' for you for a long time, and had almost done gone give it up," was the cry of many. They bid farewell to their wives and children and marched in the van. Hearing that the enemy was concentrated in heavy force at West Point, the brigade at Aberdeen was called over by a forced march to the railroad, at a station fifteen miles north of West Point. Two miles north of this station Gen. Smith encountered a force of the enemy, which fell back, after a sharp skirmish, through the town to a swamp on the right. Gen. Smith now found the enemy on his front in strong force, holding all the crossings of the swamp on the right; also on the line of the Octibbeha in front, and that of the Tombigbee River on his left. He could attack only with light carbines, as his horses were useless on the marshy ground. The enemy were armed with muskets and rifles. Gen. Smith was also now encumbered with pack-trains, and mules and horses captured, numbering about two thousand, beside as many negroes. To guard these his effective force was reduced, and he therefore determined to make a demonstration in front, and at the same time fall back with his trains and his main body to Okalona. This movement was successfully executed, although the enemy pressed closely, under the command of Gens. Forrest, Lee, and Chalmers. At Okalona, on the 22d, Gen. Smith was attacked, and suffered severely in the loss of men, besides five howitzers. His retreat that day was followed up. Under cover of the night he moved toward Pontotoc. This movement is thus described: "Picture to yourself, if you can, a living, moving mass of men, negroes, mules, and horses, of four thousand or five thousand, all en masse, literally jammed, huddled, and crowded into the smallest possible space; night setting in; artillery and small arms booming behind us; cavalry all around and ahead, moving on, on, on over fences, through fields and brush, over hills and across mud-holes, streams, and bridges, and still on, on into the night, until the moon rises on the scene and shows us some of the outlines of this living panorama. I forgot to say that in this crowd were a lot of prisoners, too, once or twice attempting to escape, followed by the swift report of the revolver, once with bitter consequences to the escaping prisoners." During the day the enemy had moved on each flank, with the evident design of reaching the Tallahatchie River in advance, and forming a junction to prevent the crossing of Gen. Smith and capture his whole force; but, by marching all night, he safely crossed the river at New Albany. On the 23d the rear guard had skirmishing all day. On the 25th the advance reached Memphis, at 11 P. M., having marched nearly fifty miles that day. It was reported that a million bushels of corn were destroyed, many miles in length of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad, bridges, cotton-gins, and buildings. Says one: "We have probably devoured fifty thousand hams, some eggs, chickens, turkeys, milk, and butter by wholesale, and such. et ceteras as can be found in so rich a country as we have passed through." The captured stock and trains were brought off safely. The loss was less than two hundred killed and captured. The expedition failed to make a junction with Gen. Sherman. When the expedition of Gen. Sherman returned toward Vicksburg, a detachment was sent up the Yazoo River, accompanied with some gunboats. Yazoo City was attacked, but the enemy held it until reenforced. An amount of stores and cotton was destroyed. The Federal loss was about fifty killed and wounded. The general results of this movement, including those of Gens. Sherman and Smith, is stated to have been as follows: One hundred and fifty miles of railroad, sixtyseven bridges, seven hundred trestles, twenty locomotives, twenty-eight cars, several thousand bales of cotton, several steam mills, and over two million bushels of corn were destroyed. Some prisoners were captared, and upwards of eight thousand negroes and refugees came in with the various columns. Many dwellings and all the outbuildings and farming utensils were destroyed. The expedition of Gen. Sherman was generally supposed to be designed for the capture of Mobile. But, however that may have been, no official statement has been made. As it advanced toward Meridian, a force was detached from the army of Gen. Johnston, formerly commanded by Gen. Bragg, near Dalton, in Georgia, and sent to reenforce Gen. Polk. Two divisions of Gen. Hardee's Corps, under Gens. Stewart and Anderson, composed this force. To counteract this movement of the enemy, another was set on foot by Gen. Grant, then in command at Chattanooga. This consisted of an advance of the Fourteenth Corps, under Gen. Palmer, upon Dalton. It commenced on February 22d. The divisions of Gens. Jeff. C. Davis, Johnson, and Baird participated on the right, or direct road to Dalton, and the division of Gen. Stanley, under command of Gen. Crufts, on the left. This latter division had been encamped at Cleveland, and formed a junction with the main force between Ringgold and Tunnel Hill. The advance of the main force passed to the left of the Chickamauga battle-field, over Taylor's Ridge and through Ringgold Gap. A small force of the enemy was seen here, who retired. Ringgold, twenty-three miles from Chattanooga, was occupied that night. On the next day the column moved at daylight, and during the forenoon there was constant skirmishing with the cavalry of the enemy. At noon Gen. Crufts made a junction, and the whole corps moved forward in line of battle, with cavalry in advance and on the flanks, until it reached the vicinity of Tunnel Hill. On the ridge were four pieces of artillery, under Gen. Wheeler, which soon opened fire. These were dislodged in a short time by the 2d Minnesota and 9th Indiana batteries, and the ridge occupied about 4 P. M. The advance continued and the cavalry force pressed forward in pursuit of the few scattered enemies, until it was checked by a cross-fire from six guns, at Rocky Fall, in a gorge through which the railroad and turnpike passes. The enemy succeeded in holding that position for the night. On the next morning, after considerable heavy fighting, the corps advanced into the town and captured about a hundred and fifty prisoners. The movement was immediately continued upon Dalton, distant seven miles from Tunnel Hill. The corps descended through the gaps into the Rocky Fall valley, the division of Gen. Crufts being on the left, Gen. Johnson on the right, Gen. Baird on the left centre, and Gen. Davis on the right centre. During the whole forenoon there was lively skirmishing, and the enemy's force evidently increased in numbers. Gen. Palmer advanced cautiously within two miles of Dalton, when it appeared that preparations had been made by the whole of Gen. Johnson's army to receive him. Considerable activity was perceptible in the interior of the enemy's works, and their cavalry began to hover about the flanks of Gen. Palmer's corps. Deserters reported that two divisions which had started toward Mobile had returned. Gen. Palmer now fell back to Tunnel Hill. His loss in the expedition was about three hundred and fifty killed and wounded. That of the enemy is unknown. Some prisoners were taken by Gen. Palmer. On March 10th he had fallen back to Ringgold. The movement in East Tennessee consisted merely in an advance toward the position of Gen. Longstreet, who was then reported to be retreating into Virginia. He finally joined the army of Gen. Lee with his command. In the Department of the South, authority was given to Gen. Q. A. Gillmore commanding, on December 22d, 1863, to undertake such operations as he might deem best on a conference with Admiral Dahlgren commanding the naval force. On the 13th of January the President wrote to Gen. Gillmore as follows: EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, January 13, 1664. Major-General GILLMORE: I understand an effort is being made by some worthy gentlemen to reconstruct your department, and it is not unlikely you may be a legal State Government in Florida. Florida is in there in person. I have given Mr. Hay a commission of major and sent him to you with some blank books and other blanks to aid in the construction. He will explain as to the manner of using the blanks, and also my general views on the subject. It is desirable for all to cooperate; but if irreconcilable differences of opinion shall arise you are master. I wish the thing done in the most speedy way possible, so that when done it be within the range of the late procla have to be done by others, but I shall be greatly mation on the subject. The detail labor will of course obliged if you will give it such general supervision as you can find consistent with your more strictly military duties. A. LINCOLN. On January 14th Gen. Gillmore proposed to the War Department to occupy the west bank of the St. John's River in Florida, and establish small depots there preparatory to an advance west. On the 22d of January he was informed by the Secretary that the matter was left entirely to his judgment and discretion with the means at his command. On January 31st Gen. Gillmore again wrote to the Secretary that the objects to be obtained by the operations were: 1st. "To procure an outlet for cotton, lumber, timber, &c. 2d. "To cut off one of the enemy's sources of commissary supplies, &c. 3d. "To obtain recruits for my colored regiments. 4th. "To inaugurate measures for the speedy restoration of Florida to her allegiance in accordance with the instructions which he had received from the President, by the hands of Major John Hay, Assistant Adjutant-General." On the same day. Gen. Gillmore issued the following order: HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH. HILTON HEAD, S. C., January 81, 1864. the provision of the Presidential Proclamation GENERAL ORDERS No. 16.-In accordance with of Pardon and Amnesty, given at Washington on the 8th day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in pursuance of instructions received from the President of the United States, Major John Hay, Assistant Adjutant-General, will proceed to Fernandina, Florida, and other convenient points in that State, for the purpose of extending to the citizens of the State of Florida an opportunity to avail themselves of the benefits of that Proclamation, by offering for their signature the oath of allegiance therein prescribed, and by issuing to all those subscribing to said oath certificates entitling them to the benefits of the Proclamation. Fugitive citizens of the State of Florida, within the limits of this Department, will have an opportunity to subscribe to the same oath and secure certificates in the office of the Post Com mander at Hilton Head, South Carolina. By command of Maj.-Gen. Q. A. GILLMORE. ED. W. SMITH, Ass't Adj.-Gen. About twenty-five families remained in Jack sonville. They were chiefly women and children, and all professed to be in favor of the Union. The railroad was in running order to Tallahassee. Provisions and cattle were abundant. Gen. Joseph Finegan was in command of the forces of the enemy. no apprehension from this force, he continued his advance, and three miles beyond surprised and captured a camp of artillery containing four guns, camp and garrison equipage, including wagons, tents, commissory stores and officers' baggage. Three prisoners were taken. The remainder of the force escaped to the woods. This body was falling back, and had not anticipated so rapid an advance of the Federal force. Early on the next morning the advance reached Baldwin, a place of fifteen buildings. Here three cars, two of which were filled with corn, a three-inch rifled gun, a considerable quantity of cotton, rice, tobacco, and other stores were captured. At evening Gens. Gilmore and Seymour arrived. Orders were issued to Brig.-Gen. Truman Seymour on February 5th to proceed to Jack- On the 10th Col. Henry continued his adsonville, Fla., and effect a landing and push vance. At Barber's Station a thousand barrels forward his mounted force to Baldwin, seventy of turpentine and five hundred pounds of bacon miles from Jacksonville. It was the junction were captured. An advance guard was then of the railroads from Jacksonville and Fernan- sent forward to see if the enemy were in posidina. On the 6th the expedition, consisting of tion to defend the south fork of the St. Mary's twenty steamers and eight schooners, under river, while the remainder of the force cauconvoy of the gunboat Norwich, left Hilton tiously followed. The enemy in small force Head and arrived at Jacksonville on the next were found defending the fork, when a skirday, February 7th. When the landing of the mish ensued, in which four were killed on the troops commenced a small body of the enemy Federal side and thirteen wounded. Two of in a wood adjacent to the town fired three the enemy were killed and three wounded, shots, thus wounding two or three persons. A when they fled to the woods. Their force was company of colored troops went in pursuit, and about one hundred and fifty men. At 6 P. M. the enemy after firing a few shots fled. Col. Henry reached Sanderson, forty-miles from Jacksonville. The place had been abandoned by the enemy, and a large amount of stores committed to the flames. On the 11th the command encamped five miles from Lake City, which was held by the enemy but evacuated during the night. This was unknown to Col. Henry, and, as he was without infantry, he retraced his steps to Sanderson. The most important property captured was as follows: Two twelve-pounder rifled guns, two six-pounder guns, one three-inch gun, two other guns, five caissons, a large quantity of ammunition, an immense supply of camp and garrison equipage, four railroad cars, one hundred and thirteen bales of cotton, four army wagons, one hundred and five horses and mules, a large stock of saddlery, tanning machinery, three thousand and eighty-three barrels turpentine, six thousand bushels corn; three large warehouses were destroyed. On the 11th telegraphic communication was established between Jacksonville and Baldwin, and on that day Gen. Gilmore sent instructions to Gen. Seymour not to risk a repulse in advancing upon Lake City, but to hold Sanderson unless there were reasons for falling back, and also in case his advance met with serious opposition to concentrate at Sanderson and the south fork of the St. Mary's. On the 13th Gen. Seymour was further instructed to concentrate at Baldwin without delay. This was done at once. Meantime, Col. Henry was sent toward the left to capture some railroad trains at Gainsville on the Fernandina and Cedar Keys railroad. This resulted in a skirmish with a In the afternoon of the 8th the march to the interior of the State was commenced. The forces were divided into three columns, commanded respectively by Cols. Barton, Hawley, and Henry. Col. Barton took the main road, Col. Henry took the road to the right of that, and Col. Hawley one still further to the right. After an advance of three miles the three roads united on the line of the railroad. Here the infantry bivouacked for the night, and Col. Guy V. Henry, with the 40th Massachusetts infantry, the independent battalion of cavalry and Elder's horse battery B, 1st artillery, pushed forward on a reconnoissance. It was dark when the movement commenced at a brisk trot toward Lake City. For the distance of five miles none of the enemy were seen. The country through which the force passed was low, level, and marshy. On each side the road was flanked by pine forests. The soil was that of fair farming land to Lake City, but beyond it becomes a rich sandy loam. A mile and a half from Camp Finegan a picket station was discovered, but the pickets had fallen back to the reserve post. Pressing forward, after a short stop, Col. Henry soon came in sight of Camp Finegan on the right. About two hundred cavalrymen were seen drawn up in line of battle. Having |