as Kelly’s Ferry.  In one of these I took passage, and on reaching Kelly’s Ferry found orderlies, with one of General Grant’s private horses, waiting for me, on which I rode into Chattanooga, November 14th.  Of course, I was heartily welcomed by Generals Grant, Thomas, and all, who realized the extraordinary efforts we had made to come to their relief.  The next morning we walked out to Fort Wood, a prominent salient of the defenses of the place, and from its parapet we had a magnificent view of the panorama.  Lookout Mountain, with its rebel flags and batteries, stood out boldly, and an occasional shot fired toward Wauhatchee or Moccasin Point gave life to the scene.  These shots could barely reach Chattanooga, and I was told that one or more shot had struck a hospital inside the lines.  All along Missionary Ridge were the tents of the rebel beleaguering force; the lines of trench from Lookout up toward the Chickamauga were plainly visible; and rebel sentinels, in a continuous chain, were walking their posts in plain view, not a thousand yards off.  “Why,” said I, “General Grant, you are besieged;” and he said, “It is too true.”  Up to that moment I had no idea that things were so bad.  The rebel lines actually extended from the river, below the town, to the river above, and the Army of the Cumberland was closely held to the town and its immediate defenses.  General Grant pointed out to me a house on Missionary Ridge, where General Bragg’s headquarters were known to be.  He also explained the situation of affairs generally; that the mules and horses of Thomas’s army were so starved that they could not haul his guns; that forage, corn, and provisions, were so scarce that the men in hunger stole the few grains of corn that were given to favorite horses; that the men of Thomas’s army had been so demoralized by the battle of Chickamauga that he feared they could not be got out of their trenches to assume the offensive; that Bragg had detached Longstreet with a considerable force up into East Tennessee, to defeat and capture Burnside; that Burnside was in danger, etc.; and that he (Grant) was extremely anxious to attack Bragg in position, to defeat him, or at least to force him to recall Longstreet.  The Army of the Cumberland had so long been in the trenches that he wanted my troops to hurry up, to take the offensive first; after which, he had no doubt the Cumberland army would fight well.  Meantime the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps, under General Hooker, had been advanced from Bridgeport along the railroad to Wauhatchee, but could not as yet pass Lookout Mountain.  A pontoon-bridge had been thrown across the Tennessee River at Brown’s Ferry, by which supplies were hauled into Chattanooga from Kelly’s and Wauhatchee..