It will be necessary, probably, for you to send, in addition to the force now in East Tennessee, a small division of infantry, to enable General Gillem to hold the upper end of Holston Valley, and the mountain-passes in rear of Stevenson.

You may order such an expedition.  To save time, I will send a copy of this to General Stoneman, so that he can begin his preparations without loss of time, and can commence his correspondence with you as to these preparations.

As this expedition goes to destroy and not to fight battles, but to avoid them when practicable, particularly against any thing like equal forces, or where a great object is to be gained, it should go as light as possible.  Stoneman’s experience, in raiding will teach him in this matter better than he can be directed.

Let there be no delay in the preparations for this expedition, and keep me advised of its progress.  Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General.

Headquarters of the armies of the united states
city point, Virginia, January 81, 1865.

Major-General J. M. Schofield, commanding army of the Ohio.

General:  I have requested by telegraph that, for present purposes, North Carolina be erected into a department, and that you be placed in command of it, subject to Major-General Sherman’s orders.  Of course, you will receive orders from me direct until such time as General Sherman gets within communicating distance of you.  This obviates the necessity of my publishing the order which I informed you would meet you at Fortress Monroe.  If the order referred to should not be published from the Adjutant-General’s office, you will read these instructions as your authority to assume command of all the troops in North Carolina, dating all official communications, “Headquarters Army of the Ohio.”  Your headquarters will be in the field, and with the portion of the army where you feel yourself most needed.  In the first move you will go to Cape Fear River.

Your movements are intended as cooperative with Sherman’s movement through the States of South and North Carolina.  The first point to be obtained is to secure Wilmington.  Goldsboro’ will then be your objective point, moving either from Wilmington or Newbern, or both, as you may deem best.  Should you not be able to reach Goldsboro’, you will advance on the line or lines of railway connecting that place with the sea-coast, as near to it as you can, building the road behind you.  The enterprise under you has two objects:  the first is, to give General Sherman material aid, if needed, in his march north; the second, to open a base of supplies for him on the line of his march.  As soon, therefore, as you can determine which of the two points, Wilmington or Newbern, you can best use for throwing supplies from to the interior, you will commence the accumulation of twenty days rations and forage for sixty thousand men and twenty thousand animals.  You will get of these as many as you can house and protect, to such point in the interior as you may be able to occupy.