The railroads of North Carolina are four feet eight and one-half inches. gauge.  I have sent large parties of railroad-men there to build them up, and have ordered stock to run them.  We have abundance of it idle from the non-use of the Virginia roads.  I have taken every precaution to have supplies ready for you wherever you may turn up.  I did this before when you left Atlanta, and regret that they did not reach you promptly when you reached salt-water....

Alexander Stephens, R. M. T. Hunter, and Judge Campbell, are now at my headquarters, very desirous of going to Washington to see Mr. Lincoln, informally, on the subject of peace.  The peace feeling within the rebel lines is gaining ground rapidly.  This, however, should not relax our energies in the least, but should stimulate us to greater activity.

I have received your very kind letters, in which you say you would decline, or are opposed to, promotion.  No one world be more pleased at your advancement than I, and if you should be placed in my position, and I put subordinate, it would not change our personal relations in the least.  I would make the same exertions to support you that you have ever done to support me, and would do all in my power to make our cause win.

Yours truly,

U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General.

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

Major-General G. H. Thomas, commanding Army of the Cumberland.

General:  With this I send you a letter from General Sherman.  At the time of writing it, General Sherman was not informed of the depletion of your command by my orders.  It will, be impossible at present for you to move south as he contemplated, with the force of infantry indicated.  General Slocum is advised before this of the changes made, and that for the winter you will be on the defensive.  I think, however, an expedition from East Tennessee, under General Stoneman might penetrate South Carolina, well down toward Columbia, destroying the railroad and military resources of the country, thus visiting a portion of the State which will not be reached by Sherman’s forces.  He might also be able to return to East Tennessee by way of Salisbury, North Carolina, thus releasing home our prisoners of war in rebel hands.

Of the practicability of doing this, General Stoneman will have to be the judge, making up his mind from information obtained while executing the first part of his instructions.  Sherman’s movements will attract the attention of all the force the enemy can collect, thus facilitating the execution of this.

Three thousand cavalry would be a sufficient force to take.  This probably can be raised in the old Department of the Ohio, without taking any now under General Wilson.  It would require, though, the reorganization of the two regiments of Kentucky Cavalry, which Stoneman had in his very successful raid into Southwestern Virginia.