I came up here to relieve our Road, 20th Corps at Atlanta. Hood reached our Road and broke it up between Big Shanty and Acworth and attacked Allatoona but was repulsed. We have plenty of bread and meat but forage scarcer. I want to destroy all the Road below Chattanooga including Atlanta and make for the Seacoast. We cannot defend this long line of Road.

     Replace all the Guards on the Road down as far as Chattanooga and have a Reserve force for the defense of Tennessee and bring back your Divisions of Newton and Morgan.

We can have the Road repaired in a week and have plenty of grub in the meantime, but I expect Hood will make a break at Kingston Rome or some other point soon.

     Sorry that Forrest escaped ----- I doubt the necessity of repairing the Road about Elk River and Athens, and I suggest that you wait before giving orders for repairs.