hold position little back of first position. All my troops are in position. I will meet you at headquarters.

EARL VAN DORN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS THIRD ARMY CORPS,
Corinth, Miss., May 13, 1862

General BEAUREGARD,

Commanding:

GENERAL: I had 13 men desert last night from the Twenty-third Tennessee Regiment. These men are from Lawrence County, which joins Hardin County, in which the battle of Shiloh was fought. It seems probable that they have made their way to the enemy. I have thought this fact of sufficient importance to communicate it at once.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant.

W. J. HARDEE,

Major-General

MAY 13, 1862

Colonel POLK,

Fifteenth Arkansas Regiment:

The general wishes you to move up and relieve Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, who is at the forks of the roads above you.

THOMAS S. HARDEE,

Aide-de-Camp.

[Indorsement.]

MAY 13, 1862

General HARDEE,

Second Army Corps:

I send two men through, caught our pickets. You will find out from them that they expect to attack us this morning. Cavalry have been to the right of the Third Louisiana Regiment this morning, and have found out, I doubt, not, that that regiment can be easily flanked. There should be a regiment immediately placed at the crossing of the railroad by Farmington and Danville road.

L. E. POLK,

Colonel Fifteenth Arkansas Regiment.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI

Numbers 6.
Corinth, Miss.; May 13, 1862

I. Brigadier-General Ruggles will be ready with his division for orders to move at any moment early to-morrow morning on the upper Farmington road, leaving in the trenches the invalids and one or two unreliable regiments.

II. Brigadier-General Trapier will hold his position and place half his command in the trenches as soon as he may hear firing, the other half to be held ready to re-enforce the right or the left, as may be required.