ments of infantry and a battery to Holly Springs. After which I sent the following dispatch to General Carr:

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, In the Field, Hudsonville, Miss., October 13, 1863.

Brigadier General E. A. CARR,
Commanding Officer, La Grange, Tenn.:

GENERAL: I received a dispatch from General Sherman yesterday by Lieutenant Davis, acting assistant inspector-general, informing me of the movement of General Corse's division.

I have heard nothing from Colonels Hatch or Phillips since I have been here. Indeed, our cavalry have given me on information whatever of the enemy's movements. I think the enemy must be trying to cross the Coldwater somewhere in the vicinity of Quinn's Mill. I have sent Colonel Rice at 8 o'clock this a. m. with three regiments of infantry and four pieces of artillery to Lockhart's Mill, by the way of Holly Springs, where I expect to join him at 3 p. m. I will leave here at 1 p. m., by the Hernando road, and, after forming a junction with Rice, will move in the direction of Quinn's Mill, north of the Coldwater. If you have any message to send me, the best route would be by the way of Mount Pleasant.

Respectfully, &c.,

T. W. SWEENY,

Brigadier-General.

I marched to Holly Springs that afternoon and there learned from some of the enemy's pickets whom we captured, that Chalmers had crossed the Coldwater at Quinn's Mill on Sunday night and had crossed Pigeon Roost Creek at 10 o'clock on Monday morning, on his way to Wyatt. I therefore concluded that it would be useless to go any farther south, and fell back to Hudsonville.

Next morning, 14th, I received a communication from Colonel Hatch, informing me that he had fallen in with the enemy's rear guard near Byhalia on Monday (12th) afternoon, and had skirmished with them. This dispatch was written within three-quarters of a mile of the Tallahatchie, near Wyatt. I started off as soon as possible in that direction but without any hope of coming up with the enemy, as I felt satisfied his main body must have crossed the river on Monday evening, having left his rear guard to amuse the cavalry.

The failure of the expedition may be attributed to two causes, both of which were alike fatal to my just anticipations, first, the cavalry not being ready to move out on the morning of the 10th, and, secondly, the cavalry being allowed to act independently. Had I had but one regiment of cavalry subject to my orders, I am satisfied that Chalmers would never have crossed the Tallahatchie with his artillery and baggage train.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. W. SWEENY,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Left Wing, Sixteenth Army Corps, Corinth, Miss.

ADDENDA.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. SECOND DIV., 16TH ARMY CORPS,

Numbers 15.
Pulaski, Tenn., November 18, 1863.

In consequence of this command having been ordered into the field, and the preparations and march pursuant thereto, the general commanding has not been able to acknowledge in General Orders the