After drawing a new complement of horses, Battery E took boats for Nashville, Tennessee, where they served under General Thomas during Hood's siege of that city. In a letter dated 8 December 1864, Rice reports that "we have no firing along the line directly in front of us today, but the Johnnies can be seen plainly with a glass about three miles off, doing their camp duty." He goes on to relate his opinion of General Thomas and of his Confederate counterpart, General John Bell Hood: