I agree that the lack of wagons may have been a problem for Gen Longstreet on his way from Chattanooga. However once he had taken Knoxville, he could have been easly been resupplied from VA by the East Tennessee and Va Raildoad from Va. My point is that if he had remained in East Tennessee, Grant would have had to leave Chattanooga, because he would have been between two armies. Grant would have had to retreat to Union held Nashville for the winter and in the spring, Bragg or who ever was in command of the Army of Tennessee and Gen Longstreet would have been free to attack him there. Jreb