understand that Wilder is camped near Alexander's Bridge, 2 miles below me. I have sent a party to communicate with him. Rebel pickets are 9 miles above on the La Fayette road.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. H. G. MINTY,

Colonel, commanding.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Crawfish Spring, September 18, 1863.

Respectfully forwarded.

T. L. CRITTENDEN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. THIRD BRIG., FIRST DIV., 21ST ARMY CORPS,
September 17, 1863.

Colonel C. G. HARKER,

Commanding Brigade:

SIR: I have the honor to report that the pickets inform me that they saw a rocket to the eastward about 1 o'clock this morning; that they hear a bugle or horn in the same direction last evening about dark, and some thought they saw signal light also in the east during the night.

Very respectfully, &c.,

L. B. EATON,

Captain, Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteers, Brigade Inspector.

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, TWENTY-FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Gordon's Mills, September 17, 1863.

Respectfully forwarded for the information of the commanding general of the army.

I am not sufficiently advised of the exact position of Colonel Minty's command to say whether these evidences of the presence of troops came from him or not. Besides I am not informed whether he has any signal party with him. Then the report of pickets as to the direction of such indications is too vague to fix the direction accurately. I report the facts, thinking they may be used as corroborations if they were observed by others.

TH. J. WOOD,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, TWENTY-FIRST ARMY CORPS,
Gordon's Mills, september 17, 1863-2.15 p.m.

Brigadier General J. A. GARFIELD,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: Some of my lookouts have just reported a considerable cloud of dust due south from this position, with some indistinct firing. The lookout reports the column of dust, when first seen, as moving northward when the firing was heard, and then the column or cloud of dust seemed to cease moving northward.