on Friday last at Black's, of which intelligence was previously given you, directs that you make a circumstantial report to this office of your operations at that time to intercept them.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. L. CLAY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Corinth, April 25, 1862.

Major-General LEONIDAS POLK,

Commanding First Corps, &c., Corinth, Miss.:

GENERAL: I have just received a dispatch from General Maxey, informing me that the enemy had attacked Colonel Brewer at Purdy, and I have telegraphed General Maxey as follows:

Send sick, heavy baggage, &c., to this place by cars and retire slowly on Bolivar, if road be practicable, to protect Mississippi Central. If not, to retire on this place, as already instructed.

Another dispatch says that "no trains have been sent to him," and I have telegraphed him as follows:

I have just ordered Major Hurt to send you two trains. If they are not in time, send sick by wagons, and destroy your baggage when forces to retire. Why did you not apply for trains sooner?

Will you have the goodness to report to me in writing what you stated yesterday relative to the want of fresh beef in your corps?

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

General, Commanding.

CORINTH, April 25, 1862.

Major-General VAN DORN:

Enemy's movement only a strong reconnaissance. Come on without hurry.

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

HEADQUARTERS,
Richmond, Va., April 25, 1862.

General G. T. BEAUREGARD,

Commanding, &c., Corinth, Miss.:

GENERAL: My attention has been called to an article published in the New York Herald of the 21st instant, which contains a copy of your telegraphic dispatch of the 9th instant to General Cooper, and which it is stated was intercepted at Huntsville. As the telegram received here was in cipher, I have deemed the matter of sufficient importance to bring it to your notice. It may be necessary to change your cipher or adopt a new one altogether. The only explanation which suggests itself to my mind is the probability that you might have sent two dispatches, one by Hunstville and one by Mobile-the first being in plain English.