CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, NORTHERN ALABAMA, AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA FROM NOVEMBER 19, 1861, TO MARCH 4, 1862.

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE MISSOURI, Numbers 1.
Saint Louis, November 19, 1861.

I. In compliance with General Orders, Numbers 97, Headquarters of the Army, Washington, November 9, 1861, the undersigned hereby takes the command of the Department of the Missouri, including the States of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, and that portion of Kentucky west of the Cumberland River.

II. All reports and returns required by Army Regulations will be made to the headquarters in the city of Saint Louis.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

LOUISVILLE, KY., November 19, 1861.

Brigadier General GEORGE H. THOMAS,

Commanding Division, Crab Orchard, Ky.:

SIR: General Buell directs me to say that the orders he has given you in reference to the movement of your command* contemplate the whole of it, and it will, in consequence, not be necessary to continue the depot from which you are now supplied. You will come upon a line of which Louisville and not Cincinnati will be the main depot.

The general desires to be informed in due season of the time at which you will probably arrive at Liberty, as he intends to heave further instructions ready to reach you when you get to that point.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES B. FRY,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Chief of Staff.

HEADQUARTERS EAST TENNESSEE BRIGADE,
Camp Calvert, November 19, 1861.

Brigadier General GEORGE H. THOMAS, U. S. A.,

Commanding, &c., Crab Orchard:

GENERAL: I have just received information that the rebels, 5,000 strong, were last night at Flat Lick, 8 miles above Barboursville and 32 miles from this place. The messenger left Barboursville this morning. As I can make no stand at this place without artillery with my force, which consists of only some 2,000 effective men, I shall, on obtaining certain information of the enemy's approach, if possible move in the direction of Somerset.

From our very limited means of transportation I shall probably have to destroy nearly the whole of our rations, as I shall not be able to move more than our camp equipage.

---------------

* See Thomas to Carter, Series I, Vol. IV, p. 361.

---------------