By the 9th all our troops were in position, and we held the rich country between the Little Tennessee and the Hiawasaee.

The cavalry, under Colonel Long, passed the mountain at Tellico, and proceeded about seventeen miles beyond Murphy, when Colonel Long, deeming his farther pursuit of the wagon-train useless, returned on the 12th to Tellico.

I then ordered him and the division of General Morgan L.Smith to move to Charleston, to which point I had previously ordered the corps of General Howard.
On the 14th of December all of my command in the field lay along the Hiawassee.

Having communicated to General Grant the actual state of affairs, I received orders to leave, on the line of the Hiawassee, all the cavalry, and come to Chattanooga with the rest of my command.

I left the brigade of cavalry commanded by Colonel Long, reenforced by the Fifth Ohio Cavalry (Lieutenant-Colonel Heath)--the only cavalry properly belonging to the Fifteenth Army Corps--at Charleston, and with the remainder moved by easy marches, by Cleveland and Tyner's Depot, into Chattanooga, where I received in person from General Grant orders to transfer back to their appropriate commands the corps of General Howard and the division commanded by General Jeff.