I have ordered all the provisional divisions, made up of troops belonging to the regular corps, to be broken up, and the men to join their proper regiments and organizations; and have ordered General Schofield to guard the railroads back to Newborn and Wilmington, and to make up a movable column equal to twenty-five thousand men, with which to take the field.  His army will be the centre, as on the Atlanta campaign.  I do not think I want any more troops (other than absentees and recruits) to fill up the present regiments, and I can make up an army of eighty thousand men by April 10th.  I will post General Kilpatrick at Mount Olive Station on the Wilmington road, and then allow the army some rest.

We have sent all our empty wagons, under escort, with the proper staff-officers, to bring up from Kinston clothing and provisions.  As long as we move we can gather food and forage; but, the moment we stop, trouble begins.

I feel sadly disappointed that our railroads are not done.  I do not like to say there has been any neglect until I make inquiries; but it does seem to me the repairs should have been made ere this, and the road properly stocked.  I can only hear of one locomotive (besides the four old ones) on the Newbern road, and two damaged locomotives (found by General Terry) on the Wilmington road.  I left Generals Easton and Beckwith purposely to make arrangements in anticipation of my arrival, and have heard from neither, though I suppose them both to be at Morehead City.

At all events, we have now made a junction of all the armies, and if we can maintain them, will, in a short time, be in a position to march against Raleigh, Gaston, Weldon, or even Richmond, as you may determine.

If I get the troops all well planed, and the supplies working well, I may run up to see you for a day or two before diving again into the bowels of the country.

I will make, in a very short time, accurate reports of our operations for the past two months.  Yours truly,

W. T. Sherman, Major-General commanding.

Headquarters military division of the Mississippi in the field,
Cox’s brigade, Goldsboro’, north Carolina, March 24, 1865.

Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant, City Point, Virginia.

General:  I have kept Lieutenant Dunn over to-day that I might report farther.  All the army is now in, save the cavalry (which I have posted at Mount Olive Station, south of the Nenae) and General Terry’s command (which—­to-morrow will move from Cog’s Ferry to Faison’s Depot, also on the Wilmington road).  I send you a copy of my orders of this morning, the operation of which will, I think, soon complete our roads.  The telegraph is now done to Morehead City, and by it I learn that stores have been sent to Kinston in boats, and that our wagons are loading with rations and clothing.