MARCH 31, 1862.-Skirmish on the Purdy Road, near Adamsville, Tenn.

LIST OF REPORTS.

No. 1.-Brig. General Lewis Wallace, U. S. Army.

No. 2.-Lieutenant Charles H. Murray, Fifth Ohio Cavalry.

No. 1. Report of Brigadier General Lewis Wallace, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION,
Crump's Landing, Tenn., April 1, 1862.

SIR: I inclose a report of a skirmish between our picket at Adamsville and a small body of the rebels, which resulted unfortunately for us. As the general will see, the officer reporting attributes the misfortune to a deficiency of arms. My opinion is, however, it was partly from that cause and partly from his bad management, having, according to his own showing, but few arms; and the enemy being superior in number and armed with shot-guns, he ought either to have avoided a fight or charged pell-mell. What he says about the deficiency of arms and its effect upon his men I think worthy of attention, and with that opinion I beg to call the general's notice to it.

Very respectfully,

LEW. WALLACE,

General, Third Division.

Captain JOHN A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 2. Report of Lieutenant Charles H. Murray, Fifth Ohio Cavalry.

ADAMSVILLE, April 1, 1862.

SIR: I was yesterday evening intrusted with 28 men from Company I, Fifth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and instructed to proceed on the main road from this place to Purdy and relieve the temporary cavalry picket that had been thrown out, under command of Lieutenant A. C. Rossman, on the approach of our forces to this place. On reaching the rendezvous of our picket Lieutenant Rossman reported that the enemy's pickets had been seen during the afternoon but a quarter of a mile in advance of our own, and that there were suspicious indications that the enemy's cavalry contemplated making a charge upon our pickets. With this information I deemed it necessary to advance all the force under my command, to station the first night relief, and reconnoiter the ground of our outer pickets, with a view to place them in the safest position for the night. When I reached our out pickets I found the enemy were hovering around a neighboring woods in front. I drew in our pickets a short distance, and stationed 4 carbineers and 2 men with pistols below a small hill in the road, where they would be in some measure screened form the enemy, and yet able to discover their approach a long distance on the road. I had just completed this arrangement and wheeled my main force to return when the picket signaled the approach of the enemy's cavalry. I immediately commanded the