CINCINNATI, OHIO,, September 20, 1863.

(Received 7.45 p.m.)

Major ECKERT:

You may expect bad news from Department of the Cumberland. General Rosecrans is in Chattanooga.

STEVENS.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,
Corinth, September 20, 1863.

Colonel BINMORE,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

The general knows better that I what number of troops can be spared. I think troops had better be sent by brigades, leaving out the mounted infantry and the very weak regiments. Rice's brigade, headquarters at La Grange, would take Seventh Iowa, Sixty-third Indiana, Second Iowa, and Fifty-second Illinois; total 1,836. Mersy's brigade, headquarters at Pocahontas, Twelfth, Eighty-first, and One hundred and twenty-second Illinois; total 1,286. Bane's brigade, headquarters here, Thirty-ninth Iowa, Fiftieth, Fifty-seventh, and One hundred and twentieth Illinois,; total, 1,266, The last return will show how many troops I will have left.

The road is not very secure now,m and I do not like to say that I can spare any troops at all, but will do as well as I can with what I may have. I would recommend that Bane's brigade be first chose, because it is all here together. It is immaterial as to the others, which should first be chosen. Mersy would not go with his brigade unless his animals should be turned over to another regiment. Batteries are attached to each brigade, and could be easily spared by us. My last and most reliable news indicates that Roddey has gone to Decatur with his whole force, and that there is a force of 4,000 at Pontotoc, with eighteen pieces of artillery, besides 1,500 lately gone east from Okolona, making 5,500 now threatening the railroad. There has also an additional force lately crossed the Tennessee to assist Newsom, making his force over 1,000.

E. A. CARR,

Brigadier-General.

WASHINGTON,

September 20, 1863-10.40 a.m.

Major General W. S. ROSECRANS:

Major-General Burnside telegraphs, the 17th, that he has cavalry brigade at Post Oak Springs with pickets extending to your left, and another cavalry force on south side of the river, picketing down to the Hiwassee. Your armies are therefore in communication, and should be able to co-operate in any movement against the enemy.

H. W. HALLECK.

[SEPTEMBER 20, 1863. - For abstract from tri-monthly returns of the Army of the Cumberland, see Part I, p. 170.]