Luckily，Ilearnedjustthenthattheenemy’scavalry，underGeneralWheeler，hadmadeawidecircuitaroundourleftflank，andhadactuallyreachedourrailroadatTiltonStation，aboveResaca，capturedadroveofonethousandofourbeef—cattle，andwasstrongenoughtoappearbeforeDalton，anddemandofitscommander，ColonelRaum，thesurrenderoftheplace。GeneralJohnE。Smith，whowasatKingston，collectedtogetheracoupleofthousandmen，andproceededincarstothereliefofDalton，whenWheelerretreatednorthwardtowardCleveland。Onthe16thanotherdetachmentoftheenemy’scavalryappearedinforceaboutAllatoonaandtheEtowahbridge，whenIbecamefullyconvincedthatHoodhadsentallofhiscavalrytoraiduponourrailroads。ForsomedaysourcommunicationwithNashvillewasinterruptedbythedestructionofthetelegraph—lines，aswellasrailroad。IatonceorderedstrongreconnoissancesforwardfromourflanksontheleftbyGarrard，andontherightbyKilpatrick。TheformermovedwithsomuchcautionthatIwasdispleased;butKilpatrick，onthecontrary，displayedsomuchzealandactivitythatIwasattractedtohimatonce。HereachedFairburnStation，ontheWestPointroad，andtoreitup，returningsafelytohispositiononourrightflank。Isummonedhimtome，andwassopleasedwithhisspiritandconfidence，thatIconcludedtosuspendthegeneralmovementofthemainarmy，andtosendhimwithhissmalldivisionofcavalrytobreakuptheMaconroadaboutJonesboro，inthehopesthatitwouldforceHoodtoevacuateAtlanta，andthatIshouldtherebynotonlysecurepossessionofthecityitself，butprobablycouldcatchHoodintheconfusionofretreat;and，furthertoincreasethechancesofsuccess。
IorderedGeneralThomastodetachtwobrigadesofGarrard’sdivisionofcavalryfromthelefttotherightrear，toactasareserveinsupportofGeneralKilpatrick。Meantime，also，theutmostactivitywasorderedalongourwholefrontbytheinfantryandartillery。Kilpatrickgotoffduringthenightofthe18th，andreturnedtousonthe22d，havingmadethecompletecircuitofAtlanta。HereportedthathehaddestroyedthreemilesoftherailroadaboutJonesboro，whichhereckonedwouldtaketendaystorepair;thathehadencounteredadivisionofinfantryandabrigadeofcavalry（Ross’s）;thathehadcapturedabatteryanddestroyedthreeofitsguns，bringingoneinasatrophy，andhealsobroughtinthreebattle—flagsandseventyprisoners。Onthe23d，however，wesawtrainscomingintoAtlantafromthesouth，whenIbecamemorethaneverconvincedthatcavalrycouldnotorwouldnotworkhardenoughtodisablearailroadproperly，andthereforeresolvedatoncetoproceedtotheexecutionofmyoriginalplan。Meantime，thedamagedonetoourownrailroadandtelegraphbyWheeler，aboutResacaandDalton，hadbeenrepaired，andWheelerhimselfwastoofarawaytobeofanyservicetohisownarmy，andwherehecouldnotdousmuchharm，viz。，upabouttheHiawaesee。Onthe24thIrodedowntotheChattahoocheebridge，toseeinpersonthatitcouldbeproperlydefendedbythesinglecorpsproposedtobeleftthereforthatpurpose，andfoundthattherebelworks，whichhadbeenbuiltbyJohnstontoresistus，couldbeeasilyutilizedagainstthemselves;andonreturningtomycamp，atthatsameevening，ItelegraphedtoGeneralHalleckasfollows:
HeavyfiresinAtlantaallday，causedbyourartillery。Iwillbeallready，andwillcommencethemovementaroundAtlantabythesouth，tomorrownight，andforsometimeyouwillhearlittleofus。IwillkeepopenacourierlinebacktotheChattahoocheebridge，bywayofSandtown。TheTwentiethCorpswillholdtherailroad—bridge，andIwillmovewiththebalanceofthearmy，provisionedfortwentydays。
MeantimeGeneralDodge（commandingtheSixteenthCorps）hadbeenwoundedintheforehead，hadgonetotherear，andhistwodivisionsweredistributedtotheFifteenthandSeventeenthCorps。
Therealmovementcommencedonthe25th，atnight。TheTwentiethCorpsdrewbackandtookpostattherailroad—bridge，andtheFourthCorps（Stanley）movedtohisrightrear，closingupwiththeFourteenthCorps（Jeff。C。Davis）nearUtoyCreek;atthesametimeGarrard’scavalry，leavingtheirhorsesoutofsight，occupiedthevacanttrenches，sothattheenemydidnotdetectthechangeatall。Thenextnight（26th）theFifteenthandSeventeenthCorps，composingtheArmyoftheTennessee（Howard），drewoutoftheirtrenches，madeawidecircuit，andcameupontheextremerightoftheFourthandFourteenthCorpsoftheArmyoftheCumberland（Thomas）alongUtoyCreek，facingsouth。Theenemyseemedtosuspectsomethingthatnight，usinghisartilleryprettyfreely;