Percussion caps are made at Nashville; employ about 11 hands.

Sunday, the 14th January, operative left for Bowling Green from Nashville; about 18 miles from Nashville switch turned, supposed purposely; seven passenger cars, 300 soldiers; engine ran off at the beginning of a "fill," turning clean over, smashing the baggage car and partly one passenger car. Only one or two hurt. The conductor spoke of three engines thus entirely lost or ruined, and said they would at that rate be out of engines.

No bridges guarded between Bowling Green and Nashville; streams all small; all rivers high on all the routes, from heavy and long-continue rains.

Monday, January 15, operative, with horse and buggy (having a pass from the provost-marshal), visited the First Arkansas Regiment, Colonel Cleburne, stationed about 3 miles northwest from Bowling Green. On the way out he counted thirty-eight regiments of infantry, including those at Bowling Green; saw seven field batteries; some of four, some of six, guns, range 6 to 12 pounders; part smooth, part rifled; part brass and part iron; one battery, all brass, supposed the same as had Major Bragg in Mexico.

About northwest by north one about a mile, another 1 1\2 miles from Bowling Green, were being built one eight gun battery and one of four guns; the largest nearest to the town and nearly completed; two guns already mounted.

One regiment of cavalry was stationed near the largest battery, and another at the edge of a timber, about 2 1\2 mils from Bowling Green and just north of the First Arkansas Regiment. There are two which claim to be the First Arkansas Regiment. There are two which claim to be the First Arkansas Regiment, the one near Bowling Green and another at Dumfries, Va.

The number of regiments stationed at and around Bowling Green and between that place and Cave City, as stated by Major Harris, of the First Arkansas, to my operative, while dining in his tent, was eighty, all told.

Major Harris, who is a brother of the Government of Tennessee, further stated to my operative that of these eighty regiments six or seven were cavalry regiments; that one of these was known as one of Ben. McCulloch's Texan Rangers; Major Harris did not know how many field batteries were with these eighty regiments, but upon counting over between himself and Colonel Claiborne they concluded that there were between 80 and 90 guns in field batteries.

Major Harris and others in the First Arkansas, speaking of the time of their enlistment being up in May, said that they were going home anyhow when their time had expired, and would make those who had not yet enlisted fill the ranks; but that if Virginia passed the proposed law now before her legislature, compelling the regiments which had been made up from one year's enlistments to continue service during the war, the whole force of one year's enlistment would refuse to serve beyond the termination of their enlistment.

Major Harris also stated that Colonel Hindman had been made brigadier-general, and was then engaged in destroying the tunnel north of Cave City, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, having already also burned every building in Cave City.

The clothing of the troops at and about Bowling Green is poor and wearing out, and so far as talked with Major Harris said they were getting tired of the war, especially of its inactivity.

The First Arkansas Regiment was in long tents, but very many of the regiments were comfortless in canvas tents.