Twelve miles east of Bridgeport, May 3, 1864.
Have made about 15 miles to-day. This is the fourth time I have been over the same ground, have ridden over it five times. This is the first time I ever started on a march where real judgment was used in breaking the men in. We always before made from 15 to 25 miles the first day and broke down about one-fourth of our men. This time you see, our first two day’s marches were short and the 15 miles to-day seemed to affect no one. I hear from good authority here that Thomas is in Dalton, after some heavy skirmishing. Everything is moving to the front here. A portion of the 12th, or 20th Corps now, is just ahead of us. Morgan L. Smith and Osterhaus are just behind us, but Logan will not be along until relieved by some other troops.
I expect Dodge, with some 6,000 of the 16th Army Corps, is behind us. The 17th Army Corps was coming into Huntsville as we left.
Camp is in an orchard, and apples are as large as hazel nuts and we make sauce of them.
