WASHINGTON, June 9, 1862.

Major-General BUELL, Booneville:

By general order of yesterday's date the Department of the Mississippi was extended over the whole of the States of Kentucky and Tennessee. This territory, I suppose, falls in your district of that department. It is the disposition of this Department to leave all military operations to the commanding general. At the urgent entreaties of the Kentucky delegation, who represented the State to be in danger, General Boyle was authorized to raise forces in Kentucky and command them, under the impression that you were so remote and so fully occupied that you were unable to give attention to their condition. Much alarm and insecurity continues to be manifested in that State and also in Tennessee. General Boyle, on his own authority, has been ordering troops from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, for Nashville, at the instance, he says, of General Dumont. General Morgan has also been telegraphing daily about the greatly superior forces of the enemy threatening him, although at his request he was also authorized to raise recruits. We have no knowledge of his strength. Under these circumstances I would be glad to hear from you your opinion of the actual state of affairs and the condition and strength of the forces in Kentucky and Tennessee. You are at liberty to intrust the command in both States to whomsoever you may deem best qualified to meet the present emergencies. The President is anxious to have speedily some definite information from you on these subjects.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

BOONEVILLE, MISS., June 9, 1862.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

Your dispatch is received. There is undoubtedly abundant cause for prudent and prompt action, but none I think, for serious anxiety, now that the disposition of the enemy at Corinth-for it amounts to that, in one source or another-leaves a large force available for operations in Kentucky and Tennessee, where it is certainly very much needed. The necessity for concentrating a heavy force upon Corinth almost denuded Kentucky, and left barely a sufficient force for an active defensive position in Middle Tennessee, to suit the state of things at that time. The rebel authorities have taken advantage of this reduction of our forces in Tennessee-from which they were not yet entirely expelled-to increase their strength there, to threaten preparations, and that has given confidence and activity to the lawless and disloyal element in Kentucky. My disposition of the troops left in Tennessee had in view the defense of Nashville and Middle Tennessee against invasion by the view the defense of Nashville and Middle Tennessee against invasion by the way of Chattanooga and Stevenson or directly from East Tennessee, and finally active operations against the Memphis and Charleston Railroad between Decatur and Bridgeport, if circumstances favored it. The latter was very happily accomplished by General Mitchel's activity and energy. Security against an attack from East Tennessee, and after that the expulsion of the rebels from Tennessee entirely, are now matters of very pressing importance. I hope General Mitchel will be able to effect the first until more troops can be thrown in. The second will require all the troops that came from there. The rebels have