also been greater than I supposed. I find that the bridge cannot be ready for crossing until Monday. I shall then move rapidly forward. My messenger returned last night from General Grant, with a communication dated the 24th and verbal information that he is cutting a road. No information of interest.

D. C. BUELL,

Major-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF WEST TENNESSEE,

Numbers 27,
Savannah, March 27, 1862.

The constant changes caused by arrivals of new troops and their assignment to brigades and consequent changes in brigades themselves renders it impossible to keep the hospital fund account as usually kept. It is ordered, therefore, that hereafter, until further orders, hospitals will draw from the division commissaries only such stores as may be needed for the use of the sick, and the articles left with the commissary will be purchased by him on vouchers similar to those used for the purchase of company savings. the purchase money will be paid to the division surgeon, who will receipt for it on the voucher, and expend it in the purchase of needful articles for the sick, rendering his accounts therefor at the end of each quarter to the Surgeon-General of the Army.

By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

JNumbers A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE OHIO,
Camp near Columbia, March 27, 1862.

Brigadier General O. M. MITCHEL,

Commanding Third Division, Murfreesborough:

GENERAL: I have already informed you in conversation of certain dispositions which affect your part in the campaign just commencing. These dispositions for the present, you will remember, place your division mainly at Fayetteville; Duffield's brigade, with a battery and battalion of cavalry, at Murfreesborough, with a detachment at Lebanon; Negley's brigade, with a battery and battalion of cavalry, at Franklin; and a division at or in front of Columbia, to act to the left in conjunction with you, or to the right, according to circumstances.

These arrangements have in view convenience either to advance against certain positions of the enemy or to oppose any offensive move on his part.

Excepting your own division, the troops are not strictly under your command, but they will become so, unless otherwise ordered in case any advance of the enemy toward Nashville renders their concentration or united action necessary, and they will be so instructed.

Besides the troops above enumerated there will be a regiment near the city, on the Murfreesborough road, a regiment at Franklin, and one at Columbia, with about a regiment of cavalry distributed at different points as guards to depots and roads.

It is not necessary to point out to you how this force can be concentrated either for an advance or for defense, if necessary. It can by marches of from 25 to 35 miles over good turnpikes concentrate at Shel-