Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/70

 44 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS tember 16 set out for Vicksburg, being carried on board the steamboat. He received orders from Washington on the 27th to send all available forces to the vicinity of Chattanooga, to co-operate with Rosecrans. While personally superintending the carrying out of this order, he received instructions, October 10, to report at Cairo. He arrived there on the 16th, and was directed to proceed to Louis ville. At Indianapolis he was met by Mr. Stanton, secretary of war, who accompanied him to Louis ville and delivered an order to him placing him in command of the military division of the Missis sippi, which was to embrace the departments and armies of the Tennessee, the Cumberland, and the Ohio. He at once went to Chattanooga, arriving on the 23d, and took command there in person. On October 29 the battle of Wauhatchie was fought, and a much-needed line of communication for sup plies was opened to the troops in and around Chat tanooga, besieged by Bragg s army, which held a strongly fortified position. Thomas commanded the Army of the Cumberland, which held Chatta nooga ; Sherman, who had succeeded Grant in com mand of the Army of the Tennessee, was ordered to bring all his available troops to join Thomas; and Burnside, who was in Knoxville, in command of the Army of the Ohio, besieged by Longstreet s corps, was ordered to hold his position at all hazards till Bragg should be crushed and a force could be