HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, Atlanta, Ga., September 25, 1864.

General STEEDMAN,

Chattanooga:

GENERAL: I will send a DIVISION to Chattanooga to-night and another to-morrow to Rome. You can act in anticipation of these arrivals. Look well to Stevenson and the Tennessee, though outside of your command. I can guard Bridgeport better from Rome than other point.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

DECATUR, September 25, 1864.

Major-General THOMAS:

The advance of Forrest has been reported at Elkton, and he may leave with a port [of his] force for the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. Have ordered a scout to be sent from Huntsville. If they are, would it not be right be right to have a strong force at Tullahoma?

R. S. GRANGER,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Atlanta, Ga., September 25, 1864-6 p. m.

Brigadier General R. S. GRANGER:

It is best that the re-enforcements ordered to you should join you and then you can judge (being on the spot) what is best to be done, whether to attack the enemy direct or get in his rear; but you should give him no rest until you have disposed of him.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

DECATUR, September 25, 1864.

Major General G. H. THOMAS:

Previous to receipt of your telegram dispatches arrived from General Sherman to stop and send to Nashville the troops from Chattanooga which had been ordered here, which has been done. Fourteen hundred of them were last heard from at Stevenson, and were probably sent up to Nashville from there, as the commanding officer at Stevenson telegraphed me General Sherman's dispatch to send them. The enemy have appeared in considerable [force] outside of our lines at this place; supposed at first this might be Wheeler's, which was yesterday morning reported at Courtland and Moulton, only twenty-one miles from here, but which was reported on the march to Georgia; but I received this evening a telegram from Lieutenant Glassford, of the Navy, that [he] understood that Decatur is to be threatened, and he will be down to-morrow with two more gun-boats, which leads me to think that this may be the force he previously intimated as having crossed the Coosa River. I shall prepare for any amount of force to-night, and will learn more of what is outside of us to-morrow, certainly. As long as Wheeler is so near it will not be prudent to take another man from this place; now I have but 1,500.

R. S. GRANGER,

Brigadier-General.