Personal Memoirs of General U.S. Grant, vol 2 | Page 7

Vicksburg.
A retreat at that time would have been a terrible disaster. It would not
only have been the loss of a most important strategic position to us, but
it would have been attended with the loss of all the artillery still left
with the Army of the Cumberland and the annihilation of that army
itself, either by capture or demoralization.
All supplies for Rosecrans had to be brought from Nashville. The
railroad between this base and the army was in possession of the
government up to Bridgeport, the point at which the road crosses to the
south side of the Tennessee River; but Bragg, holding Lookout and
Raccoon mountains west of Chattanooga, commanded the railroad, the
river and the shortest and best wagon-roads, both south and north of the
Tennessee, between Chattanooga and Bridgeport. The distance between
these two places is but twenty-six miles by rail, but owing to the
position of Bragg, all supplies for Rosecrans had to be hauled by a
circuitous route north of the river and over a mountainous country,
increasing the distance to over sixty miles.

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.
On the morning of the 20th of October I started, with my staff, and
proceeded as far as Nashville. At that time it was not prudent to travel
beyond that point by night, so I remained in Nashville until the next
morning. Here I met for the first time Andrew Johnson, Military
Governor of Tennessee. He delivered a speech of welcome. His
composure showed that it was by no means his maiden effort. It was
long, and I was in torture while he was delivering it, fearing something
would be