"I wrote you a few days ago, just as I was starting on a reconnoissance
toward Bristol. We found no enemy nor heard of any this side of
Abingdon, Virginia, in any force. We had a very disagreeable march,
raining most of the time, very hard on both men and horses. Our
campaigning has been very hard and tiresome, though I have stood it
myself very well, in fact better than if we had less active duty; but
it has tried the mettle of our brigade. We have run our horses nearly
down, a large number of the men are dismounted, and more than half of
the rest have horses that will not stand a march of any length. The
Sixty-fifth came out with eight hundred and fifty men; there are now in
camp about six hundred. The marching, rain storms, short rations, and
especially the whistling of bullets and ball have driven a number of
our officers out of the service.
"But I fear the worst of our campaigning is yet to come. It is becoming
a serious question how we are to sustain our army in East Tennessee
this winter. There is enough bread and meat, but the men have no winter
clothing, and unless it comes soon it cannot get over the mountains.
Winter will soon be upon us, with muddy roads and swollen rivers. We
have just started a train of wagons from our division over to Kentucky
for clothing and supplies, but I do not expect to see it short of six
weeks, if ever. We had been hoping to get railroad communication open
by way of Chattanooga, but the disaster to Rosecrans has at least
postponed that. Just now I am anxious to get over into North Carolina
with my brigade, but military movements are very uncertain and most
likely I shall be disappointed."