Knoxville, December 8th, 1863.
Thanks to Almighty God—and General Grant— the crisis is passed. General Sherman arrived on the 5th inst but Longstreet had fled, and he returned immediately to Chattanooga. Nobody seems to know the exact date of Longstreet’s withdrawal. Our forces were sent out in pursuit yesterday, the 7th inst., but no enemy could be found. We have passed through a terrible ordeal. Twenty days and nights under fire. Twenty days with death or surrender staring us m the face—and surrender meant Andersonville, a fate worse than death. On our retreat from Lenoir we were compelled to leave most of our wounded. We have recovered our own and about three hundred wounded Rebels.
