West of Knoxville, on the south side of the Tennessee River, below Loudon, the enemy were very active during the early part of October. On the 19th of that month, Gen. Burnside had directions to report to Gen. Grant, commanding Division of Mississippi, concerning the situation and operations of his forces. This he did, and at the same time sent a flag of truce through Col. Woolford’s lines, whose headquarters were at Philadelphia, Tenn. The enemy’s cavalry took advantage of the flag, made an attack upon Col. Woolford, and captured from 300 to 400 of his men and some mountain howitzers. On the 28th, the forces at Loudon were moved to the north side of the Tennessee River, and the pontoon bridge was taken up and transported to Knoxville. There it was thrown across the Tennessee, and proved of immense service during the siege. The indications at that date were that Bragg was sending a considerable force against Burnside. The latter reinforced Kingston with Col. Mott’s brigade of infantry, left Gen. White and his command at Loudon, and posted Gen. Potter with the Ninth corps at Lenoir’s, about five miles east of Loudon. All the available cavalry force at Knoxville was thrown on the south side of the Tennessee River, with instructions to guard it down to the junction of Little Tennessee and Tennessee rivers opposite Lenoir’s. And in order to enable the United States forces to communicate with each other, Gen. Potter was instructed to build a pontoon bridge over the Tennessee just above the mouth of the Little Tennessee. That was done with great expedition, under superintendence of Col. O. E. Babcock. Some correspondence was carried on between Generals Grant, Halleck and Burnside as to the proper points to be occupied in East Tennessee, and a visit to Burnside’s headquarters followed from Col. Wilson, of Grant’s staff, by order of his chief, accompanied by Hon. Chas. A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War. Burnside gave them his reasons in full for desiring to hold Knoxville in preference to Kingston. They concurred with him in that conclusion. They all agreed it would be proper to recommend that both places be held, if possible, but certainly Knoxville. At that date it was definitely known that Longstreet was moving against Burnside.