mind."

General Sherman, on a visit to Knoxville about the end of March,
a few days before the date of the foregoing letter, disclosed to
me his general plans for the coming campaign, and the part I was
expected to take in it.

It would be difficult to give an adequate conception of the feeling
of eager expectation and enthusiasm with which, having given my
final salutation to my "friends" in the Senate, I entered upon the
preparations for this campaign. Of its possible results to the
country there was room in my mind only for confidence. But for
myself, it was to decide my fate, and that speedily. My reputation
and rank as a soldier, so long held in the political balance, were
at length to be settled. The long-hoped-for opportunity had come,
and that under a general whose character and ability were already
established, and of the justice of whose judgment and action
regarding his subordinates there could be no reason for doubt in
my mind. My command was to be mostly of veteran troops, and not
too large for my experience. Its comparative smallness was a source
of satisfaction to me at that time, rather than anything like
jealousy of my senior brother commanders of the Cumberland and
Tennessee.

My first care was to provide my men with all necessary equipments
for the campaign, and to fill up the ranks by calling in all
absentees. It was a refreshing sight to see the changed aspect
and feeling of the gallant little army as it marched with full
ranks and complete equipment, newly clad, from Knoxville toward
Dalton.

My next thought was to win the respect and confidence of my men.
An opportunity to do this was speedily afforded in the delicate
operations in front of Dalton. The result may perhaps be fairly
expressed in the words of an old soldier who was overhead to say
as I passed his regiment that day under fire: "It is all right,
boys; I like the way the old man chaws his tobacco." From that
day forward I felt that the Twenty-third Corps confided in me as
I did in them. I never had any doubt they would do just what I
expected them to do, and would take it for granted that it was "all
right."

It is with greatest pleasure that I record here the just tribute
paid to that splendid body of men by General Sherman about the
close of the Atlanta campaign: "The Twenty-third Corps never failed
to do all that was expected of it."

COMMENTS ON SHERMAN'S "MEMOIRS"