arrest and sent him to Lebanon, hoping that something may be done to prevent such flagrant disobedience n the future.

Our pickets were firing until late in the night, but without any damage to us, our men reporting to have killed a few of the enemy.

Day before yesterday a messenger from you reported to me that he had lost the dispatch you sent by him, and yesterday a gentleman found one on the road, directed to me, containing invoices from the quartermaster, which was also sent by a messenger. The massenger I sent you day before yesterday has also lost my dispatch to you. All of these men belong to Wolford's cavarly.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A schoepf,

Brigadier-General.

CAIRO, ILL., December 6, 1861.

Major-General HALLECK:

Telegraphed to General McClellan that there are twelve gunboats, of which three are in commission and nine in the contractors'. Three of the latter have guns on board and are kept ready for defense here.

If the contractors hand over three of the latter boats by the 18th instant I will have all of them ready for active service in ten days, provided the Department-me additional 1,100 men require to man them.

There is less prospect of an attack from Columbus that I expected when is Saint Louis; still we have two gunboats lying off Ford Holt ready for defense, also the gunboat Saint Louis, yet in the contractors' hands; has her armament on board and is ready for defense. I am still very much embarrassed in getting the boats ready for want of possession of the wharf-boats. The last two gunboats from Saint Louis not yet received.

A. H. FOOTE,

Flag-Officer.

DECEMBER 6, 1861.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,

Commanding U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

Efforts are made to secure appointment of certain brigadiers for Kentucky. I would advise you to receive them with great caution. We have enough very poor already. Zollicoffer, as I expected, is making demonstrations to stop our blockade of the coal trade on the Cumberland; has opened with artillery from the other side on the small camp near Somerset. He will do no great harm. I am throwing up a small field work there, which will command the river and make a few companies secure. No other news.

Have you received my two last letters?

D. C. BUELL,

Brigadier-General.

LEBANON, KY., December 6, 1861.

Brigadier-General BUELL, Louisville, Ky.:

I have just received a dispatch from General Schoepf. He reports the enemy crossing the Cumberland 6 miles below Somerset. He has with him one battery of artillery, the Seventeenth and Thirty-eight Ohio,