This country afforded but little food for his animals, nearly ten thousand of which had already starved, and not enough were left to draw a single piece of artillery or even the ambulances to convey the sick.  The men had been on half rations of hard bread for a considerable time, with but few other supplies except beef driven from Nashville across the country.  The region along the road became so exhausted of food for the cattle that by the time they reached Chattanooga they were much in the condition of the few animals left alive there—­“on the lift.”  Indeed, the beef was so poor that the soldiers were in the habit of saying, with a faint facetiousness, that they were living on “half rations of hard bread and BEEF DRIED ON THE HOOF.”

Nothing could be transported but food, and the troops were without sufficient shoes or other clothing suitable for the advancing season.  What they had was well worn.  The fuel within the Federal lines was exhausted, even to the stumps of trees.  There were no teams to draw it from the opposite bank, where it was abundant.  The only way of supplying fuel, for some time before my arrival, had been to cut trees on the north bank of the river at a considerable distance up the stream, form rafts of it and float it down with the current, effecting a landing on the south side within our lines by the use of paddles or poles.  It would then be carried on the shoulders of the men to their camps.

If a retreat had occurred at this time it is not probable that any of the army would have reached the railroad as an organized body, if followed by the enemy.

On the receipt of Mr. Dana’s dispatch Mr. Stanton sent for me.  Finding that I was out he became nervous and excited, inquiring of every person he met, including guests of the house, whether they knew where I was, and bidding them find me and send me to him at once.  About eleven o’clock I returned to the hotel, and on my way, when near the house, every person met was a messenger from the Secretary, apparently partaking of his impatience to see me.  I hastened to the room of the Secretary and found him pacing the floor rapidly in his dressing-gown.  Saying that the retreat must be prevented, he showed me the dispatch.  I immediately wrote an order assuming command of the Military Division of the Mississippi, and telegraphed it to General Rosecrans.  I then telegraphed to him the order from Washington assigning Thomas to the command of the Army of the Cumberland; and to Thomas that he must hold Chattanooga at all hazards, informing him at the same time that I would be at the front as soon as possible.  A prompt reply was received from Thomas, saying, “We will hold the town till we starve.”  I appreciated the force of this dispatch later when I witnessed the condition of affairs which prompted it.  It looked, indeed, as if but two courses were open:  one to starve, the other to surrender or be captured.