On December 3rd, the enemy’s trains were seen moving eastward, and at night Capt. Audenried, of Gen. Sherman’s staff, reached Gen. Burnside’s headquarters. Relief was actually on the way, and the movements of Longstreet’s trains on the 4th indicated an early abandonment of the siege. In the afternoon, however, his skirmishers were unusually active and their fire was easily provoked. The besieged stood under arms all night in expectation of an attack, but the zealous shooting which had led them to fear it, was intended to cover another sort of movement. The next morning a profound silence reigned all around the town outside its defences. The pickets of the 36th Massachusetts, under Capt. Ames, were the first to discover that the besiegers had taken up the line of march. The First brigade began to cheer over the discovery, and this cheering was echoed all along the lines until the men almost lost their breath. Their hats were thrown away as they shouted, and when every man’s head was re-covered he shook hands with every other man he met, and there was a general jubilee. Longstreet had moved off, as Burnside said, “in remarkably good order,” and the few cavalry who could be mounted for pursuit were unable to make any impression on him. On that day a letter came to headquarters with congratulations from Gen. Sherman, at Maryville, 17 miles distant, saying that he could bring 30,000 men into Knoxville the next day, but as Longstreet had retreated, unless Burnside specified that he wanted troops, Sherman would let his men rest and he himself would ride to see him. On the morrow, the distinguished visitor arrived in town and was hospitably entertained by the Commander-in-chief.[48] Their conference resulted in the agreement that Sherman’s forces, with the exception of Gen. Granger’s corps, should return to Grant at Chattanooga. On Monday, December 7th, all available infantry were sent in pursuit of Longstreet and halted at Rutledge. The cavalry went to Bean’s Station but refrained from attacking him at Red Bridge, for want of sufficient strength. On the 11th, Gen. Burnside, in compliance with his previous suggestion, was relieved by Maj. Gen. Foster in command of the Department, and the following day he departed for Cincinnati. There, a few days afterwards, in a public speech, he gave all the honors he received, to his officers and soldiers. One of them has said: “These kindly words” they “will ever cherish; and in all their added years, as they recall the widely separated battle-fields, made forever sacred by the blood of their fallen comrades, and forever glorious by the victories there won, it will be their pride to say, ‘We fought with Burnside at Campbell’s Station and in the trenches at Knoxville.’”[49]