men. About sunset they made their last charge, when our men, being out of ammunition, rushed on them with the bayonet, and they gave way to return no more."

In the mean time the enemy made repeated attempts to carry General Thomas's position on the left and front, but were as often driven back with loss. At nightfall, the enemy fell back beyond the range of our artillery, leaving Thomas victorious on his hard-fought field.

As most of the corps of McCook and Crittenden were now in Chattanooga, it was deemed advisable, also, to withdraw the left wing to that place. Thomas, consequently, fell back during the night to Rossville, leaving the dead and most of the wounded in the hands of the enemy. He here received a supply of ammunition, and during all the twenty-first offered battle to the enemy, but the attack was not seriously renewed.

On the night of the twenty-first he withdrew the remainder of the army within the defences of Chattanooga.

The enemy suffered severely in these battles, and on the night of the twentieth was virtually defeated, but being permitted to gather the trophies off the field on the twenty-first, he is entitled to claim a victory, however barren in its results.

Cumberland, and Major-General Sherman of that of the Tennessee.

As the supply of the army at Chattanooga demanded prompt attention, he immediately repaired to that place. By bringing up from Bridgeport the Eleventh and Twelfth corps, under Hooker, and throwing a force from Chattanooga, under General W. F. Smith, on the south side of the river, at Burns's Ferry, the points of Lookout Mountain commanding the river were recaptured on the twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth of October. This important success restored his communications with his dépôts of supplies. It is not my province, even if I had the means of doing so, to speak of the brilliant exploits of our navy in the western waters. It may be proper, however, to remark, that General Grant and his department commanders report that Admirals Farragut, Porter, and their officers, have rendered most valuable assistance in all their operations.

GENERAL REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

printed and badly arranged as to be almost useless as historical documents.

It has not been possible, in the foregoing summary, to refer to all the engagements which our troops have had with the enemy during the past His loss, in killed, wounded, and missing, as year, as no official accounts or reports of some reported in the rebel papers, was eighteen thou- of them could be found, and the details given sand. Our loss in these battles was one thou- have been compiled from telegrams, despatches, sand six hundred and forty-four killed, nine and reports scattered through the various buthousand two hundred and sixty-two wounded, reaus of the War Department. I respectfully and four thousand nine hundred and forty-five recommend that all these official documents and missing. If we add the loss of the cavalry, in reports, received since the beginning of the its several engagements, about five hundred, we war, be collected and published in chronological have a total of sixteen thousand three hundred order under the direction of the Adjutant-Genand fifty-one. We lost, in material, thirty-six eral's Department. Some have already been pubguns, twenty caissons, eight thousand four hun-lished by Congress, but they are so incorrectly dred and fifty small arms, five thousand eight hundred and thirty-four infantry accoutrements. We captured two thousand and three prisoners. After General Rosecrans retreated to Chattanooga, he withdrew his forces from the passes of Lookout Mountain, which covered his line of supplies from Bridgeport. These were immediately occupied by the enemy, who also sent a cavalry force across the Tennessee, above Chattanooga, which destroyed a large wagon train in the Sequatchie Valley, captured McMinsville and other points on the railroad, thus almost completely cutting off the supplies of General Rosecrans's army. Fortunately for us, the line of the railroad was well defended, and the enemy's cavalry being successfully attacked by Colonel McCook, at Anderson's Cross-Roads, on the second October; by General Mitchell, at Shelbyville, on the sixth; and by General Crook, at Farmington, on the eighth, were mostly captured or destroyed.

Major-General Grant arrived at Louisville, and on the nineteenth, in accordance with the orders of the President, assumed general command of the Departments of the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Ohio. In accordance with his recommendation, Major-General G. W. Thomas was placed in the immediate command of the department of the

The rebel armies live mainly upon the country through which they pass, taking food and forage alike from friend and foe. This enables them to move with ease and great rapidity. Our commanders, operating in the rebel States, generally find no supplies, and in the Border States it is difficult to distinguish between real friends and enemies. To live upon the country passed over often produces great distress among the inhabitants, but it is one of the unavoidable results of war, and is justified by the usages of civilized nations. Some of our commanders have availed themselves of this right of military appropriation, while others have required too large supply trains, and have not depended, as they might have done, upon the resources of the country in which they operated. General Grant says in his official report:

In the march from Bruinsburgh to Vicksburgh, covering a period of twenty days before supplies could be obtained from the Government stores, only five days' rations were issued, and three of these were carried in the haversacks at the start, and were soon exhausted. All other subsistence was obtained from the country through which we passed, The march was

commenced without wagons, except such as could be picked up through the country."

and desertion have also greatly diminished, and might be almost entirely prevented if the punishment could be prompt and certain.

In this respect our military penal code requires

cumbrous for trial of military offences in time of actual war. To organize such courts it is often necessary to detach a large number of officers from active duty in the field, and then a single case sometimes occupies a court for many months. To enforce discipline in the field, it is necessary that trial and punishment should promptly fol low the offence.

Instructions have been given to the generals operating in hostile territory to subsist their armies, so far as possible, upon the country, re-revision. The machinery of court-martial is too ceipting and accounting for every thing taken, so that all persons of proved loyalty may hereafter be remunerated for their losses. By this means our troops can move more rapidly and easily, and the enemy is deprived of supplies if he should reoccupy the country passed over by us. Some of our officers hesitate to fully carry out those measures, from praiseworthy but mistaken notions of humanity, for what is spared by us is almost invariably taken by rebel forces, who manifest very little regard for the suffering of their own people. In numerous cases, women and children have been fed by us to save them from actual starvation, while fathers, husbands, and brothers are fighting in the ranks of the rebel armies, or robbing and murdering in ranks of guerrilla bands.

In regard to our military organization, I respectfully recommend an increase of the Inspector-General's department, and that it be merged in the Adjutant-General's department.

The grades of commander of armies and of army corps should be made to correspond with their actual commands. The creation of such grades need not cause any additional expense to the Government, as the pay and emoluments of general and lieutenant-general could be made the same as now allowed to major-generals commanding divisions.

Having once adopted a system of carrying nearly all our supplies with the army in the field, a system suited to countries where the mass of the population take no active part in the war, it I also respectfully call attention to our artillery is found very difficult to effect radical changes. organization. In the Fifth regiment of United Nevertheless, our trains have been very consid-States artillery, each battery is allowed one caperably reduced within the past year. A still greater reduction, however, will be required to enable our troops to move as lightly and as rapidly as those of the enemy. In this connection, I would respectfully call attention to the present system of army sutlers. There is no article legitimately supplied by sutlers to officers and soldiers which could not be furnished at much less price by quartermaster and commissary depart

ments.

Sutlers and their employés are now only partially subject to military authority and discipline, and it is not difficult for those who are so disposed to act the part of spies, informers, smugglers, and contraband traders. The entire abolition of the system would rid the army of the incumbrance of sutler wagons on the march, and the nuisance of sutler stalls and booths in camp. It would relieve officers and soldiers of much of their present expenses, and would improve the discipline and efficiency of the troops in many ways, and particularly by removing from the camps the prolific evil of drunkenness.

tain and four lieutenants, eight sergeants and twelve corporals, and all of these, together with the privates, receive cavalry pay and allowance. In the First, Second, Third, and Fourth regiments of the United States artillery, a battery is allowed one captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants, and four corporals, and, with the exception of two batteries to each regiment, for which special allowance was made by laws created March second, 1821, and March third, 1841, all of these receive the pay and allowances of infantry, yet they are all, with the exception of four or five companies, performing precisely similar duties.

A field battery of six guns absolutely requires all the officers and non-commissioned officers allowed in the Fifth artillery, and the additional responsibility of the officers, and the labor of both officers and enlisted men, render necessary the additional pay and allowances accorded by law to those grades in that regiment. A simple remedy for these evils is the enactment of a law giving to the First, Second, Third, and Fourth regiments of United States artillery the same or

regiment, which, it may be added, is also the same as that already given to all the volunteer field batteries now in the United States service. A similar discrepancy existed in the cavalry regiments till an act, passed by the last Congress, placed them all upon the same basis of organization and pay.

I referred in my last report to the large num-ganization and the same rates of pay as the Fifth ber of officers and soldiers absent from their commands. It was estimated, from official returns in January last, that there were then absent from duty eight thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven officers, and two hundred and eighty-two thousand and seventy-three non-commissioned officers and privates. Only a part of these were really disabled or sick. The remainder were The act authorizing the President to call out mostly deserters, stragglers, maligners, and additional volunteers, or the drafted militia, limits shirks, or men who absented themselves in order the call to the cavalry, artillery, and infantry to avoid duty. Much of this evil has been abat- | arms, and makes no provision for organizing voled; very few furloughs are now given, and officers absent from duty not only lose their pay, but are subject to summary dismissal. Straggling

unteer engineer regiments. This was unquestion ably a mere verbal omission in the law, and should be supplied, as it creates embarrassments

and when and how they were to be released from their obligations.

in the organization of armies in the field. The generals commanding these armies complain in strong terms of the deficiency of engineer troops for the repairing of said roads, the construction of pontoon-bridges, and carrying on the operations of a siege, and urge that the evil be prompt-cases for which they provide or to which they ly remedied.

Special agreements of this kind, modifying and explaining the general laws of war, furnish the rules of conduct for the contracting parties in all

are applicable. Finding that the rebel authorThe waste and destruction of cavalry horses ities were feeding prisoners contrary to these in our service has proved an evil of such magni- stipulations, they were notified, on the twentytude as to require some immediate and efficient second of May last, that all paroles not given in remedy. In the army of the Potomac there are the manner prescribed by the cartel, would be thirty-six regiments of cavalry, averaging for the regarded as null and void. Nevertheless they last six months from ten thousand to fourteen continued to extort, by threats and ill-treatment, thousand men present for duty. The issues of from our men paroles unauthorized by the cartel, cavalry horses to this army for the same period and also refused to deliver our officers and men have been as follows: In May, five thousand six for exchange in the manner agreed upon, but rehundred and seventy-three; June, six thousand tained all the colored prisoners and their officers. three hundred and twenty-seven; July, four It is stated that they sold the former into slavthousand seven hundred and sixteen; August, ery, and sentenced the latter to imprisonment five thousand four hundred and ninety-nine; and death for alleged violation of the local State September, five thousand eight hundred and laws. This compelled a resort to retaliatory twenty-seven; October, seven thousand and thirty-measures, and an equal number of their prisoners six-total, thirty-five thousand and seventy-eight. in our hands were selected as hostages for the To this number should be added the horses surrender of those retained by them. All excaptured from the enemy and taken from citizens, changes under the cartel therefore ceased. In making altogether an average remount every two violation of general good faith, and of engagemonths. We have now in our service some two ments solemnly entered into, the rebel commishundred and twenty-three regiments of cavalry, sioner then proceeded to declare exchanged all which will require, at the same rate as the army his own paroled prisoners, and ordered their reof the Potomac, the issue, within the coming turn to the ranks of their regiments then in the year, of four hundred and thirty-five thousand field, and we are now asked to confirm these acts horses. The organization of a cavalry bureau in by opening new accounts and making new lists the War Department, with a frequent and thor- for exchange, and they seek to enforce these deough inspection, it was hoped would, in some mands by the most barbarous treatment of our degree, remedy these evils. To reach the source, officers and men now in their hands. however, further legislation may be necessary. Probably the principal fault is in the treatment of these horses by the cavalry soldiers. Authority should therefore be given to dismount and transfer to the infantry service every man whose horse is, through his own fault or neglect, rendered unfit for service. The same rule might be applied to cavalry officers who fail to maintain the efficiency of their regiments and companies. The vacancies thus created could be filled by corresponding transfers from the regular and volunteer infantry.

By the existing law, the chief adjutant-general, inspector-general, quartermaster, and commissary of any corps are allowed additional rank and pay, while no such allowance is made to the chief engineers, artillery, and ordnance in the same corps. These latter officers hold the same relative positions, and perform duties at least as important and arduous as the others, and the existing distinction is deemed unjust to them.

PRISONERS OF WAR.

The rebel prisoners held by the United States have been uniformly treated with consideration and kindness. They have been furnished with all necessary clothing, and supplied with the same quality and amount of food as our own so.diers; while our soldiers, who, by the casualties of war, have been captured by them, have been stripped of their blankets, clothing, and shoes, even in the winter seasons, and then confined in damp and loathsome prisons, and only half fed on damaged provisions, or actually starved to death, while hundreds have terminated their existence, loaded with irons, in filthy prisons. Not a few, after a semblance of trial by some military tribunal, have been actually murdered by their inhuman keepers.

In fine, the treatment of our prisoners of war by the rebel authorities has been even more barbarous than that which Christian captives formerly suffered from the pirates of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers, and the horrors of Belle Isle and Libby Prison exceed even those of British hulks or the Black Hole of Calcutta ; and this atrocious conduct is applauded by the people and comOn the twenty-second of July, 1862, Major-mended by the public press of Richmond, as a General Dix and Major-General Hill entered into a cartel for the exchange of prisoners during the existing war, specially stipulating when and where exchanges should be made and how declared, defining the meaning of a parole and the rights and obligations of prisoners under parole,

means of reducing the Yankee ranks. It has been proposed to retaliate upon the enemy by treating his prisoners precisely as he treats ours.

Such retaliation is fully justified by the laws and usages of war, and the present case seems to call for the exercise of this extreme right.

Nevertheless, it is revolting to our sense of humanity to be forced to so cruel an alternative. It is hoped self-interest, if not a sense of justice, may induce the rebels to abandon a course of conduct which must for ever remain a burning disgrace to them and their cause.

CONCLUSION.

It is seen from the foregoing summary of operations, during the past year, that we have repelled every attempt of the enemy to invade the loyal States, and have recovered from his domination Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of Alabama and Mississippi, and the greater part of Arkansas and Louisiana, and restored the free navigation of the Mississippi River.

thirty-nine wounded, and twenty-two missing. Total, four hundred and thirty-seven.

The estimated loss of the enemy was over one thousand five hundred. As soon as General Grant could get up his supplies, he prepared to advance upon the enemy, who had become weakened by the detachment of General Longstreet's command against Knoxville. General Sherman's army arrived upon the north side of Tennessee River, and during the night of the twenty-third and twenty-fourth of November, established pontoon-bridges and crossed to the south side, between Citto Creek and the Chickamauga.

On the afternoon of the twenty-third, General Thomas's forces attacked the enemy's rifle-pits, between Chattanooga and Citto Creek. The Heretofore the enemy has enjoyed great ad- battle was renewed on the twenty-fourth along vantages over us in the character of his theatre the whole line. Sherman carried the eastern of war. He has operated on short and safe in-end of Missionary Ridge up to the tunnel, and terior lines, while circumstances have compelled Thomas repelled every attempt of the enemy to us to occupy the circumference of a circle; but regain the position which he had lost at the centhe problem is now changed by the reopening of tre, while Hooker's force in Lookout Valley the Mississippi River. The rebel territory has crossed the mountain and drove the enemy from been actually cut in twain, and we can strike its northern slope. On the twenty-fifth, the the isolated fragments by operating on safer and whole of Missionary Ridge, from Rossville to more advantageous lines. the Chickamauga, was, after a desperate struggle, most gallantly carried by our troops, and the enemy completely routed.

Although our victories, since the beginning of the war, may not have equalled the expectations of the more sanguine, we have every reason to be grateful to Divine Providence for the steady progress of our army. In a little more than two years, we have recaptured nearly every important point held by the rebels on the sea-coast, and we have reconquered and now hold military possession of more than two hundred and fifty thousand square miles of territory held at one time by the rebel armies, and claimed by them as a constituent part of their Confederacy.

Not

Considering the strength of the rebel position, and the difficulty of storming his intrenchments, the battle of Chattanooga must be regarded as one of the most remarkable in history. only did the officers and men exhibit great skill and daring in their operations on the field, but the highest praise is also due the Commanding General for his admirable dispositions for dislodging the enemy from a position apparently impregnable. Moreover, by turning his right The extent of country thus recaptured and flank, and throwing him back upon Ringgold occupied by our armies is as large as France or and Dalton, Sherman's forces were interposed Austria, or the entire peninsula of Spain and between Bragg and Longstreet, so as to prevent Portugal, and twice as large as Great Britain, or any possibility of their forming a junction. Prussia, or Italy. Considering what we have Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing is already accomplished, the present condition of reported at about four thousand. We captured the enemy, and the immense and still unimpair-about six thousand prisoners, beside the wounded military resources of the loyal States, weed left in our hands, forty-two pieces of artillery, may reasonably hope, with the same measure of five thousand or six thousand small arms, and a success as heretofore, to bring this rebellion to a speedy and final termination.

All of which is respectfully submitted.
H. W. HALLECK,

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

General-in-Chief.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 1863.

SIR: In compliance with your instructions, I submit the following summary of the operations of General Grant's army since my report of the fifteenth ultimo. It appears from the official reports which have been received here, that our loss in the operations of the twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth of October, in reopening communications on the south side of the Tennessee River, from Chattanooga to Bridgeport, was seventy-six killed, three hundred and

large train. The enemy's loss in killed and
wounded is not known. While Generals Tho-
mas and Hooker pushed Bragg's army into Geor-
gia, General Sherman, with his own and General
Granger's forces, was sent into East-Tennessee
to prevent the return of Longstreet, and to re-
lieve General Burnside, who was then besieged
in Knoxville. We have reliable information that
General Sherman has successfully accomplished
his object, and that Longstreet is in full retreat
toward Virginia, but no details have been re-
ceived in regard to Sherman's operations since
he crossed the Hiawassee River. Of Burnside's
defence of Knoxville, it is only known that every
attack of the enemy on that place was success-
fully repulsed. Very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.

Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

FIGHT AT CAMPBELL'S STATION, TENN. became warm. General Ferrero, in falling back