Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas	Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman

	Rome, Ga., October 29,1864.
Major-General Thomas: We have reconnoitered well down to Gadsden and Jacksonville. Hood took with him all his infantry, but left a good deal of cavalry. He started for Bridgeport and Guntersville, but my movements have thrown him clear across to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. If he does not attack Decatur to-day he will not at all, but he will go to Tuscumbia and depend on the Mobile road. Now, I want you to be all ready for him if he enters Tennessee. He will work as fast as possible, for winter is coming, but he cannot haul supplies and will be dependent on the country.11 have sent Stanley back. Give him as many conscripts as possible and use him as the nucleus. I will also send Schofield back, who will relieve you of all that Knoxville branch, but if necessary break up all minor posts and get about Columbia as big an army as you can and go at him. You nay hold all the cavalry and new troops except the men actually assigned to he corps with me. I would like Dalton held, but leave that to you, Chattanooga, of course, and Decatur in connection with the boats. If to make up a force adequate, it be necessary, abandon Huntsville and that line and the Huntsville and Decatur road, except as far as it facilitates an army operating toward Florence. Already the papers in Georgia begin to howl at being aban-doned, and will howl still more before they are done. Get, if you can, A. J. Smith's and Mower's divisions, belonging to my army, from Missouri, and let hem come to you via Clifton. Get the gun-boats to fill the Tennessee River, and that will bother him much. If you could make a good lodgment at Eastport Hood could not use the Corinth and Decatur road, for there are only seven miles of good road from East-port to luka. General Schofield has not got in yet, but I will push him right on to Resaca. I will give you notice when I start. All preparations are now progressing, but I want to know Hood's movements, and how well you are prepared before I start.
W. T. Sherman,
Major-General