Sherman, with his characteristic promptness, abandoned the work he was engaged upon and pushed on at once.

On the 1st of November he crossed the Tennessee at Eastport, and that day was in Florence, Alabama, with the head of column, while his troops were still crossing at Eastport, with Blair bringing up the rear.
Sherman's force made an additional army, with cavalry, artillery, and trains, all to be supplied by the single track road from Nashville.

All indications pointed also to the probable necessity of supplying Burnside's command in East Tennessee, twenty-five thousand more, by the same route.

A single track could not do this.

I gave, therefore, an order to Sherman to halt General G.M.