on the right, in front of Shiloh Church, your right resting on Owl Creek. You will guard the bridge and fords over this creek and send out cavalry to reconnoiter the road to Purdy. Strong guards will be kept up in front of your new position.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

NASHVILLE, April 23, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

There are two Tennessee regiments complete and in service at Cumberland Ford; four others nearly complete. There is one being formed at that place and rapidly filling up, contrary to the expectations of everybody. As soon as order can be received there will be a report made to the Department. Colonel Campbell's regiment has just reached here. Decided reaction is going on in the public mind. All will come out right.

ANDREW JOHNSON.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE OHIO,
Field of Shiloh, April 23, 1862.

Brigadier General O. M. MITCHEL,

Commanding Third Division, Huntsville, Ala.:

GENERAL: I received your dispatch of the 20th last night. This morning I received a communication from Colonel Turchin, dated yesterday, in regard to his position. The officer who brought it repeated pretty much the information conveyed in your dispatch, but said that the advance of the enemy from the direction of Stevenson was ascertained certainly. Whether this will throw you on the defensive will of course depend on circumstances, the force of the enemy, &c., of which I have no knowledge now. I hope it will not, because that might involve the necessity of your falling back to Shelbyville. If it should, you will of course destroy the enemy's communications as much as possible, the Decatur bridge without fail, and all others of consequence, rolling stock,&c. I hope it may not be true, though it is a thing that has always entered into my calculations as being not improbable, and hence the importance of destroying the Bridgeport Bridge. The railroad would hardly be a proper line of communication for us against Chattanooga at any rate.

If the reported advance on you be not true, and you find yourself able to hold your present line, it may be desirable to preserve the Decatur bridge, with an outpost at Tuscumbia, as you have already arranged; but you will of course take good care that no part of your force is jeopardized.

If you have to fall back, perhaps Shelbyville will be the proper position for you to assume ultimately, and the enemy must not be allowed to advance farther. In that case you will call together all the force that can possibly be spared from the roads and the neighborhood of Nashville. There will soon be three more regiments from Ohio and one from Louisville. These should be put on the roads and the older regiments called to the field. I have ordered two regiments from Columbia to Shelbyville to start to-day. The cavalry (two regiments) between Co-