Farther west also the troubles were threatening.  Some time before, Forrest had met Sturgis in command of some of our cavalry in Mississippi and handled him very roughly, gaining a very great victory over him.  This left Forrest free to go almost where he pleased, and to cut the roads in rear of Sherman who was then advancing.  Sherman was abundantly able to look after the army that he was immediately with, and all of his military division so long as he could communicate with it; but it was my place to see that he had the means with which to hold his rear.  Two divisions under A. J. Smith had been sent to Banks in Louisiana some months before.  Sherman ordered these back, with directions to attack Forrest.  Smith met and defeated him very badly.  I then directed that Smith should hang to Forrest and not let him go; and to prevent by all means his getting upon the Memphis and Nashville Railroad.  Sherman had anticipated me in this matter, and given the same orders in substance; but receiving my directions for this order to Smith, he repeated it.

On the 25th of June General Burnside had commenced running a mine from about the centre of his front under the Confederate works confronting him.  He was induced to do this by Colonel Pleasants, of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, whose regiment was mostly composed of miners, and who was himself a practical miner.  Burnside had submitted the scheme to Meade and myself, and we both approved of it, as a means of keeping the men occupied.  His position was very favorable for carrying on this work, but not so favorable for the operations to follow its completion.  The position of the two lines at that point were only about a hundred yards apart with a comparatively deep ravine intervening.  In the bottom of this ravine the work commenced.  The position was unfavorable in this particular:  that the enemy’s line at that point was re-entering, so that its front was commanded by their own lines both to the right and left.  Then, too, the ground was sloping upward back of the Confederate line for a considerable distance, and it was presumable that the enemy had, at least, a detached work on this highest point.  The work progressed, and on the 23d of July the mine was finished ready for charging; but I had this work of charging deferred until we were ready for it.

On the 17th of July several deserters came in and said that there was great consternation in Richmond, and that Lee was coming out to make an attack upon us the object being to put us on the defensive so that he might detach troops to go to Georgia where the army Sherman was operating against was said to be in great trouble.  I put the army commanders, Meade and Butler, on the lookout, but the attack was not made.