your army on Danville by the Farmington and Danville road, thence to Rienzi, thence to Booneville,along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, making a stand wherever practicable. After passing the bridge across Tuscumbia, 1 mile north of Danville, it must be destroyed. Depots of provision, &c., are at Okolona and Columbus.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

General, Commanding.

(Copy to Major General S. Price, commanding Second Division.)

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Corinth, Miss., May 9, 1862.

Major-General POLK,

Commanding First Corps, Army of the Mississippi:

GENERAL: The general commanding directs that you hold you command in readiness to move at a moment's notice.

Respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

GEO. G. GARNER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

JACKSON, TENN., May [9], 1862.

General BEAUREGARD:

DEAR SIR: We have certain advice that five transports, with troops and munitions, went up Tennessee River last week to Halleck.

Transports go up and down daily in large numbers. Will you excuse me for suggesting that a regiment of cavalry, with two pieces of light artillery, in charge of an effective leader, such as Forrest or Scott, could blockade the river and cut Halleck off from intercourse with the North. The river is subject to convenient attack for more than 100 miles.

It seems evident that Halleck is now in position to be utterly destroyed. If defeated in battle, he cannot escape with the river in his rear, but his whole army must succumb. His policy no doubt is the Fabian. He waits re-enforcements, and still they come. He waits, also, for his river flotilla to get complete possession of the Mississippi River, when a large force-Butler's, Curtis'-, &c.,-will concentrate at Memphis and move on your rear. Meanwhile you are as strong now as you will be in the present situation; your provisions will become exhausted, and your sources of supply be entirely cut off.

The moral and political effect of delay in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri is almost ruinous to us. Already the disaffected element in Tennessee is moving and organizing, as you see, in the so-called Convention at Nashville. A great portion of the people of Tennessee will despair and consider it lost if our capital be not soon recovered. On the contrary, if Halleck be defeated and you make a movement north, Tennessee will rouse here energies and put 100,000 men in the field. And so, when you get into Kentucky, I am satisfied, having much information from that State, that you will be powerfully sustained.

The course of Federal policy has produced a great reaction on the public mind of Kentucky as well as elsewhere.

You know as well as any man living what your army is able to ac-