We spent the day following the attack on Fort Sanders in strengthening our rifle-pits. The lines were now much nearer to those of the enemy. In some places not more than one hundred yards separated them. Our shells troubled the rebels when they relieved their picket in the forenoon. In the afternoon we received official notice of Bragg's defeat at Chattanooga. The night that followed was bitter cold, and our thinly clad men suffered much.
The next day, December 1st, General Burnside issued an order thanking his troops for their endurance and bravery, and congratulating them on their recent successes, and the success of Grant at Chattanooga. At noon, by order, a single gun—we were short of ammunition—was fired from Battery Noble, and the troops, standing in the trenches, gave three cheers for the victories we had won. They were hearty cheers, as the rebels across the ravine could testify. And they knew, too, what those cheers meant. Having defeated Bragg, General Grant was hurrying troops forward to relieve the besieged in Knoxville. Finding General Granger, whom he had selected for that task, lacking in energy, he turned the command over to General Sherman, November 29th, with orders to push on as rapidly as possible.[9] At the same time he sent a despatch to General Burnside congratulating him on the tenacity with which he had held out against vastly superior forces, and informing him of the movements in progress for his relief. By order of General Grant a copy of this despatch was suffered to fall into the enemy's hands, and from it, December 1st, Longstreet learned of Sherman's advance. Burnside did not receive the despatch till the following day. Longstreet now saw that the siege must be raised at once, and he made his preparations accordingly.[10]
Head-quarters Military Division of the Mississippi,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nov. 29, 1863.
Major-General W. T. Sherman:—
News was received from Knoxville to the morning of the 27th. At that time the place was still invested, but the attack on it was not vigorous. Longstreet is evidently determined to starve the garrison out; Granger is on the way to Burnside's relief, but I have lost all faith in his energy or capacity to manage an expedition of the importance of this one. I am inclined to think, therefore, I shall have to send you. Push as rapidly as you can to the Tennessee, and determine for yourself what force to take with you from that point; Granger has his corps with him, from which you will select in conjunction with the force now with you. In plain words, you will assume command of all the forces now moving up the Tennessee, including the garrison at Kingston, and from that force organize what you deem proper to relieve Burnside. The balance send back to Chattanooga. Granger has a boat loaded with provisions, which you can issue, and return the boat; I will have another loaded to follow you. Use, of course, as sparingly as possible from the rations taken with you, and subsist off the country all you can.
It is expected that Foster is moving, by this time, from Cumberland Gap, on Knoxville. I do not know what force he will have with him, but presume it will range from three thousand five hundred to five thousand. I leave this matter to you, knowing that you will do better acting upon your discretion than you could trammelled with instructions. I will only add, that the last advices from Burnside himself indicated his ability to hold out with rations only to about the 3d of December.
Very respectfully,
U. S. GRANT, Major General Commanding.
[10] In his report, General Longstreet says: "As our position at Knoxville was somewhat complicated, I determined to abandon the siege, and to draw off in the direction of Virginia, with an idea that we might find an opportunity to strike that column of the enemy's forces reported to be advancing by Cumberland Gap. The orders to move in accordance with this view were issued on the 2d of December."