HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Vicksburg, Miss., October 20, 1864.

Brigadier General MORGAN L. SMITH,

Commanding at Memphis:

Your cipher dispatch of the 15th was only received at nood to-day. Please ascertain cause of delay. Major-General Reynolds is at White River and will, if you are in need, supply more force for the defense of Memphis, if it is seriously threatened, which I hope will not be the case. Please keep me fully advised. When an order was sent a few days ago for you to report here at once it was supposed that Major-General Washburn had returned. You will, of course, be compelled to await his arrival.

Very respectfully,

N. J. T. DANA,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Memphis, Tenn., October 20, 1864.

COLONEL COMMANDING BRIGADE:

You will embark on steamers Belle Memphis and Clifton at 3 o'clock with your brigade and proceed to Columbus, Ky. After a consultation with the commanding officer at Columbus, Ky., you will proceed to Paducah, Ky., with your whole command unless an attack is expected at Columbus. If in your judgment an attack is probable at Columbus, you will leave one regiment there. You will report to General Meredith at Paducah, and, if the danger has passed at that point, which I suppose will be the case, you will immediately return to Columbus, and if the danger is passed there, you will immediately return to Memphis. You will communicate with all the boats you meet on your way up, and if General Washburn is on board any of them, you will show him this order and receive orders from him. If, in your best judgment after consultation with General Meredith, danger is imminent at Paucah, you will remain there until you receive orders from headquarters District of WEST Tennessee, or other competent authority. Keep at least one company on each side of the boat as picket to return any fire you may receive.

Your obedient servant,

M. L. SMITH,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

MEMPHIS, TENN., October 20, 1864.

(Received 1. 40 p. m. 22d.)

Colonel E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

Information was received here on the 16th instant by General M. L. Smith, commanding, which he deemed reliable, that on the 13th part of the troops of the rebel Generals Lee and Hardee were at Oxford, Miss., where re-enforcements were constantly arriving by rail from Grenada. Troops were moving out of Oxford toward Holly Springs, where the informants saw three regiments of rebel cavalry. Troops were also leaving Holly Springs on two roads leading toward this place. Twenty-one pieces of artillery were at Holly Springs with the

25 R R-VOL XXXIX, PT III