II. General Elliott will at the same time dispatch down the WEST bank of the Coosa a DIVISION of cavalry for the same purpose, viz, to develop the force guarding the bridge by which the enemy crossed.

III. All the armies will be held ready to move at a moment's warning.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

L. M. DAYTON,

Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
OFFICE OF PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

Atlanta, October 12, 1864.

George M. Rose, detailed scout, says:

I left these headquarters on the morning of the 10th instant in company with Gordon. We separated three miles beyond Decatur, he going to the left. I followed the Flat Shoals road. Three miles from that place turned on the cross-road to the left toward Covington. Went to within about three miles of Covington, near Brown's Bridge. Staid there all day yesterday; started on my return at 8. 30 p. m. and came through without interruption. Going out, as I came near Flat Shoals, there were six Confederates on the road ahead of me. They stopped at a house by the road and I passed them. I could hear of nothing being at Falt Shoals. Five miles farther on was a party of soldiers having a dance in a house by the road. Four miles farther on I met two, but passed them without speaking. On Monday there was a squad of twenty or thirty, under a lieutenant, about there, pressing horses. There seem to be several different parties of scouts in that vicinity but no body of troops of any size. There was a guard of seven men at Brown's Bridge, two miles and a half from Covington, and another of twelve men at Cedar Shoals factories, two miles down the river, where there is a ferry. There is a provost guard in Covington of about twenty-five men. I talked with many citizens. could hear of no troops about there or rumors of any coming. The soldiers say that country is given up and that they have orders to clean out the country for FIFTY miles around Atlanta. I took supper with a soldier last night who repeated these things and said that they were whipped. He said that 10,000 men could go from Atlanta right through to Richmond. The citizens say, too, that we are sure to possess that country.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
OFFICE OF PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

Atlanta, October 12, 1864.

John Martin, detailed scout, says:

I left these headquarters on the morning of the 10th instant. Went to the Chattahoochee, opposite Rossville, without trouble. Bridge was destroyed, so I went down a quarter of mile to the ford. River was too high and I could not cross. Went to a house and questioned the woman. She said the ford was impracticable, for a man attempting to cross that day had drowned his horse and very nearly himself. There had been no crossing since the rain. She said that she knew of no rebels on this side of the river but she had seen several on the other side. Could give no particulars as to their number or command. Went back into the woods and staid that night; left horse there next morning and scouted along on foot. Saw seven rebels come down on