HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Savannah, March 28, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

Your letter of the 24th instant is just received. Surgeon Hewitt is my acting medical director, and is the senior surgeon within this district, according to the Army Register. I never ordered any sick to New Albany, nor have I received orders to send any to Cincinnati. In the absence of orders on the subject, sick and wounded men have been sent down the river to be disposed of. They could be sent from Paducah to any other point. I ordered no sick to Saint Louis. The medical director may have done so, however. In regard to colonels or others than myself giving furloughs, all my orders on that subject are most stringent. Steamboats also are forbidden to carry soldiers or citizens without a pass approved by my order.

This army is mostly new to me, and it is impossible that I should correct all irregularities or know of them at once, especially as I receive such feeble support from many of the officers.

A few days ago a soldier who was about leaving on a furlough given by his colonel was stopped here and sent back and orders given for the arrest of the colonel.

I find great difficulty in getting my orders disseminated, though all in my power has been done to insure it.

The sick here have been entirely out of some important medicines for a week, although requisitions purposely made and properly signed by a commissioned acting medical director were forwarded in time to procure them.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Savannah, March 28, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Saint Louis, Mo.:

Since the receipt of your letter this morning I have caused boats leaving here to be visited and all persons leaving on them to be required to show their passes.

This course led to the discovery that a number of persons were going North without my authority, on leaves and passes given, in one instance, by a brigadier-general, in one by captain, and all the others by regimental commanders. As this course of procedure is in violation of my orders, I have ordered the arrest of all the parties, and will prefer charges against them.

I acknowledge the justness of your rebuke in this respect, although I thought all proper measures had been taken to prevent such abuse, and will see that no such violation occurs in future.

As I shall prefer the charges myself in these cases, it will be necessary to forward the charges to you to order the court. I forward herewith the names of officers proposed to compose the court, should you deem fit to order one. I would respectfully recommend, however, that these officers be released with a reprimand, which will probably do more good than to try them by court-martial.

News received here from a Union man who has been a prisoner at Corinth shows that the rebels have been evacuating Island Numbers 10 for