please take pains to select both officers and men noted for soldierly bearing and neatness of dress and appearance, and will furnish the commanding officer a copy of General Sherman's order.

* * * * *

By order of Major General O. O. Howard:

WM. T. CLARK,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CAIRO, ILL., September 10, 1864.

(Received 8 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK, Chief of Staff:

I have received your telegram of the 9th, directing me to prepare my command for service WEST of the Mississippi. I was in hopes to be permitted to go to General Sherman, but am ready for duty in any field. I cannot see how Price can every get north into MISSISSIPPI with the force we have in arms to oppose him. I have been informed that General Canby is sending troops north to meet him. If Price should get north, my starting point, I think, should be Saint Louis. I have heard nothing from General Sherman. I will await your orders.

A. J. SMITH,

Major-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, Atlanta, Ga., September 10, 1864.

General CANBY, New Orleans:

Dispatch of 29th received. I got Atlanta by a couple of good moves. You succeeded at Fort Morgan sooner than I expected. We must have the Alabama River now and also the Appalachicola at the old arsenal, and up to Columbus. My line is so long now that it is impossible to protect it against cavalry raids; but if we can get Montgomery and Columbus, Ga., as bases in connection with Atlanta, we have Georgia and Alabama at our feet. You ought to have more men, and it is a burning shame that at this epoch we should need men, for the North is full of them. They can raise a political convention any time of 50,000 to 100,000 men, and yet they prevented they cannot give us what we want. But keep at is, and I only want to express my idea that I would not bother with the city of Mobile, which will simply absorb a garrison for you, but would use the Tensas channel, and notify General Gardner to mountain good order, &c., in the now useless streets of Mobile.

I will be ready to sally forth again in October, but ought to have some assurance that, in case of necessity, I can swing into Appalachicola or Montgomery and find friends.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, Atlanta, Ga., September 11, 1864.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Washington, D. C.:

I understand the paymasters are already at Nashville prepared to come forward as soon as funds are provided. I have your dispatch of to-day, and suggest that payments to officers and men be made in great