geographical department. A day rarely passes without an urgent necessity for giving orders, signing requisitions, &c., beyond the limits of the regiments and corps composing my division. A very convenient department might be formed of Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, and so much of Maryland on the Western Shore as includes Baltimore and the counties of the east. If there are no public considerations which conflict with such an arrangement, it would relieve the General-in-Chief of a good deal of detail, and I think would greatly promote the convenience and efficiency of the service in this quarters. I do not ask it on personal grounds, although, as the senior major-general of volunteers, I might perhaps not unreasonably do so..

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,.

JOHN A. DIX,.

Major-General..

HDQRS. OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,.

Washington, November 19, 1864.

Brigadier-General ROSECRANS,.

Commanding Dept. of Western Virginia, Camp Gauley Mountain:.

Copies of telegraph to Generals Cox and Reynolds of the 16th instant have been sent you by mail; to the former, to send three Ohio and the latter one Indiana regiment to Kentucky. Eight regiments in all will go from your command; six Ohio and two Indiana..

L. THOMAS,.

Adjutant-General..

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,.

Camp Gauley Mountain, Western Virginia, November 19, 1861.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,.

Commanding U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: My last written dispatch was dated the 16th. I beg you will excuse the omission of two days. Unavoidable pressure of business prevented compliance with your order for daily letters..

My telegraphic dispatches have advised you of events in my command to this date. I have only to add that a flag of truce we sent to Meadow Bluff came within one mile of their position. They report the roads horribly bad, and dead horses strewn along the way between Sewell and Meadow Bluff. The rebels they saw were illy clad and armed. They were very much disconcerted by our visit, and Gibbs (Major C. F. S.) actually slept between the two captains of our escort the night they remained there..

I have sent Captain W. F. Raynolds with a flag of truce to Floyd, proposing that he should put a stop to the abhorrent practice of kidnaping unarmed citizens, and promising on that condition to release certain hostages now in our possession. He will be able to report where the rebels are to be found..

Reynolds reports Gilham not nearer than Greenbrier Bridge, 12 miles from Huntsville, on the Monterey road; the rebels are preparing arbor cantonments..

The rebels at Piketon were not so desperately annihilated as I had hoped. They will give some trouble on the river below Point Pleasant, but I feel very willing to have them eat out the "secesh" inhabitants of Logan. When they find their corn and cattle gone, without a quid pro.