it may be well for you to secure the right bank of the river with strong cavalry scouts. Persons from that part of the country say that hogs are being collected together to be driven off the rebel army. Would it not be possible for you to capture some of these droves so collected?

You will report your opinion as to the proposed occupation of Shawneetown and Cave in Rock by the Illinois regiments (three) just mustered into service.

The engineers officers under your command will be retained in service until further orders. The same rule will apply to captain Neustaedter.

It is understood that a board will soon be organized for the examination of all volunteer officers of the volunteers service - brigadier-generals included - so that incompetent officers may, if they do not resign, be discharged from the service.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, Numbers -.
Cairo, Ill., November 26, 1861.

The commanding officer at Caledonia, Ill., will in future prevent all crossing of citizens and all intercourse between the people of Kentucky and the Illinois shore. All persons known to be engaged in unlawful traffic between the two States will be at once arrested and sent before the provost-marshall in Cairo, with such proof as may be at hand. Whenever any property is known to be for the use of the Southern Army, the commanding officer may seize it, whether on the illinois or Kentucky side of the river. Particular caution is enjoined, however, in making seizures, to see that no hardship is inflicted upon innocent people. The greatest vigilance will be observed to prevent contraband trade or inter course between the two States.

U. S. GRANT,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.

DANVILLE, KY., November 26, 1861.

Brigadier General ALBIN SCHOEPF, Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: Break up your camp near Broomfield's to-morrow and move on Lebanon, encamping with the Fourteenth Ohio, and await my arrival. Should you have time, please examine the country in the neighborhood, with a view to a large encampment.

Respectfully, &c.,

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers.

[Orders issued same day for Colonel Barnes' regiment, at Irvine, and Colonels Connel's (Seventeenth Ohio) and Bradley's (Thirty-eighth Ohio to move to Lebanon.]

CALHOUN, November 26.

General BUELL:

No news of infantry moving from Hopkinsville. Three or four hundred cavalry from there in Greenville yesterday. I don't think they

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