Numbers 8. Memorandum of Colonel W. W. Mackall, Assistant Adjutant-General.

General A. SIDNEY JOHNSTON:

GENERAL: I heard you give the order to General Floyd to take command of the city of nashville. Yousaid:

I give you command of the city. You will remove the stores. My only restriction is, do ot fight a battle in the city.

W. W. MACKALL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

FEBRUARY 26, 1862.- Scout to Nashville, Tenn.

Report of Captain John H. Morgan, Kentucky Cavalry.

BUCHANAN, TENN., February 27, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that on yesterday, the 26th instant, left camp with 12 men for Nashville. About 300 yards this side of last toll-gate towards town I left this pike and crossed through Mr. Trabine's farm to the Lebanon pike. Left one man near pike to bring us intelligence of the enemy if any should come along the pike. We then followed the Lebanon pike until we reached the city. When inside the city limits found the pike covered with water, it having been backed up by the great rise in the river. Just at that point met a farmer, who said he was a Union man. Pressed him in and made him guide as over the backwater. He took us for Federals, as he afterwards told me. We proceeded into the city on Front street as far as the water-works, and there saw a steamboat - the Minna Tonka. She laid about 300 yards out in the vast field which covered the whole valley. She was chained fore and aft to trees. She laid not over 500 yards above the gunboats and their large fleet of transports. Could see the soldiers distinctly sitting upon the boats, and they were full of them. Young Buckner, Warfield, and Garrett took possession of a skiff and made oars of a piece of plank fence; boarded the steamboat; found several men on board who seemed preparing to get up steam to drop down the stream to the gunboats; made the crew leave in a boat, and set fire in several places to the steamer, and reached the shore in safety. The troops in the transports could see what we were doing. My orders were to fire the boat, and then cut her loose and let her drop down stream and set the other boats on fire, but this I found impossible to do, on account of the steamer being so securely moored with chain cables. At least 2,000 citizens gathered around us while we were waiting for the boys to get back from the steamer. They begged us to leave; told us the Federal cavalry were scouring the city; that a large party of cavalry had just passed through the street we were on. Sent all my men but 5 out the pike, with direction to halt at the cemetery. Remained with the 5 men about thirty minutes, until I saw a large body of cavalry going out Murfreesborough pike at a rapid rate; then started after my command. When we were half way through the water that was upon the pike a large body of Federals rode after us until they reached the water, when they halted, much

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