January 21st.
The tumult increases. Our forces have burned the bridge at Strawberry Plains and have fallen back to within six miles of Knoxville. The wagon train arrived here this morning—also the usual number of stragglers.
I said the wagon train arrived. I should have said the little that remains of it. It was mostly destroyed or left for the enemy. It is the general belief that Longstreet has been heavily re-enforced and is about to make a determined effort to regain possession of East Tennessee.
