towhichpointIdispatchedLieutenant—ColonelWillardWarner，ofmystaff，withaguardofonehundredmen，andGeneralHoodsentColonelClare，ofhisstaff，withasimilarguard;theseofficersandmenharmonizedperfectly，andpartedgoodfriendswhentheirworkwasdone。InthemeantimeIalsohadreconnoitredtheentirerebellinesaboutAtlanta，whichwerewellbuilt，butwereentirelytooextensivetobeheldbyasinglecorpsordivisionoftroops，soIinstructedColonelPoe，UnitedStatesEngineers，onmystaff，tolayoffaninnerandshorterline，susceptibleofdefensebyasmallergarrison。
BythemiddleofSeptemberallthesematterswereinprogress，thereportsofthepastcampaignwerewrittenupanddispatchedtoWashington，andourthoughtsbegantoturntowardthefuture。
AdmiralFarraguthadboldlyandsuccessfullyrunthefortsattheentrancetoMobileBay，whichresultedinthecaptureofFortMorgan，sothatGeneralCanbywasenabledtobeginhisregularoperationsagainstMobileCity，withaviewtoopentheAlabamaRivertonavigation。Myfirstthoughtsweretoconcertoperationswithhim，eitherbywayofMontgomery，Alabama，orbytheAppalachicula;butsolongaline，tobeusedasabaseforfurtheroperationseastward，wasnotadvisable，andIconcludedtoawaittheinitiativeoftheenemy，supposingthathewouldbeforcedtoresorttosomedesperatecampaignbytheclamorraisedattheSouthonaccountofthegreatlosstothemofthecityofAtlanta。
GeneralThomasoccupiedahouseonMariettaStreetswhichhadaverandawithhighpillars。Weweresittingthereoneevening，talkingaboutthingsgenerally，whenGeneralThomasaskedleavetosendhistrainsbacktoChattanooga，fortheconvenienceandeconomyofforage。IinquiredofhimifhesupposedwewouldbeallowedmuchrestatAtlanta，andhesaidhethoughtwewould，orthatatalleventsitwouldnotbeprudentforustogomuchfartherintoGeorgiabecauseofouralreadylonglineofcommunication，viz。，threehundredmilesfromNashville。Thiswastrue;buttherewewere，andwecouldnotaffordtoremainonthedefensive，simplyholdingAtlantaandfightingforthesafetyofitsrailroad。Iinsistedonhisretainingalltrains，andonkeepingallhisdivisionsreadytomoveatamoment’swarning。Allthearmy，officersandmen，seemedtorelaxmoreorless，andsinkintoaconditionofidleness。GeneralSchofieldwaspermittedtogotoKnoxville，tolookaftermattersinhisDepartmentoftheOhio;andGeneralsBlairandLoganwenthometolookafterpolitics。Manyoftheregimentswereentitledto，andclaimed，theirdischarge，byreasonoftheexpirationoftheirtermofservice;sothatwithvictoryandsuccesscamealsomanycausesofdisintegration。
TherebelGeneralWheelerwasstillinMiddleTennessee，threateningourrailroads，andrumorscamethatForrestwasonhiswayfromMississippitothesametheatre，fortheavowedpurposeofbreakingupourrailroadsandcompellingustofallbackfromourconqueSt。Toprepareforthis，oranyotheremergency，IorderedNewton’sdivisionoftheFourthCorpsbacktoChattanooga，andCorse’sdivisionoftheSeventeenthCorpstoRome，andinstructedGeneralRousseauatNashville，GrangeratDecatur，andSteadmanatChattanooga，toadoptthemostactivemeasurestoprotectandinsurethesafetyofourroads。