The following pages have been written after a careful study of the Official records and other Civil War library books to which I have had access over a period of years, and not upon the recollection of personal experience, as I did not belong to the generation which fought the great Civil War. It has been my desire to make all statements as accurate as possible, and sincerely believe that any and all statements contained in this volume can be verified by the Official Records. I wish to express my thanks to the War Department, under whose authority the Official Records were published. I also wish to express my thanks to the late Hon. Charles W. Lusk of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for his valuable suggestions.