Nothing was left to be done but to answer Washington dispatches as best I could; urge Sherman forward, although he was making every effort to get forward, and encourage Burnside to hold on, assuring him that in a short time he should be relieved.

All of Burnside's dispatches showed the greatest confidence in his ability to hold his position as long as his ammunition held out.
He even suggested the propriety of abandoning the territory he held south and west of Knoxville, so as to draw the enemy farther from his base and make it more difficult for him to get back to Chattanooga when the battle should begin.

Longstreet had a railroad as far as Loudon; but from there to Knoxville he had to rely on wagon trains.

Burnside's suggestion, therefore, was a good one, and it was adopted.

On the 14th I telegraphed him: "Sherman's advance has reached Bridgeport.