to my satisfaction. We then retraced our steps back to this pike; reached our man who was standing picket just before sundown. About three minutes before we reached him he said seven officers - and one of them a general - had passed through and stopped at the gate where he was standing, not 20 yards distant. He was in a clump of cedars. When we reached him the officers were not over 700 yards distant. Kept our position about an hour. A Mr. James came out and informed us that there were men encamped at the toll-gate that had refused him a permit to leave the city, but he walked along with them as they came out, and as they were going into camp he passed along. He had just left when another man rode up. I halted him. He asked me if I was one of our pickets. I replied, if he meant Federals, we were. He said that was what he meant. I then asked him for his pass. He pulled out one from General Mitchel, allowing him to pass and repass the lines. He did not want me to keep it, but I lad him it might be forgery, and that I wished to take it in and see if it was all right. He has been professing to be a Southern-rights [man]; he is a Lincolnite. Lieutenant West and myself then rode up to the toll-gate. I asked the man who lived there who were those officers who had just passed through. Said he did not know, but that they were looking out for a place to camp. While talking heard a body of cavalry approaching. We fell back to the place where our men were. I waited a few minutes. The night being very dark, could not see more than 50 yards ahead of us. While sitting listening I heard the clink of sabers about 60 yards from us. They had left the pike and were riding on the dirt alongside of the pike to keep their horses from making a noise. We were close to the fence behind cedar trees. They rode up within 50 feet of us and stopped about five minutes. I dismounted and took a shot-gun and started for the fence, where I could easily have killed two or three of them. Just as I was raising to put my gun through the fence they called to each other to fire, which they did and ran for the city. We returned the fire. One of my men (Peter Atherson) was severely wounded, being shot through the thigh. Reached camp at 12 o'clock last night.

Respectfully,

JOHN H. MORGAN,

Commanding Squadron.

Brigadier General J. C. BRECKINRIDGE.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS,
Murfreesborough, Tenn., February 24 [1862 - 1 a. m.

Captain MORGAN:

General Hardee has information tat 200 or 300 Federal cavalry crossed over into Nashville this evening on a steamboat. General Hardee deems it important that the steamboat should be burnt, and wishes you to have it done of it can be done.

Respectfully,

W. D. PICKETT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.