last evening, and I have before me Major Bond's receipt for same. The cannon firing on my front was not by my order, although I was present at most of it; and if it is the wish of the general commanding that no cannon firing should be had during picket skirmishing, I will issue orders to that effect. I intended to state in my previous note that the rockets were from my picket line.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. L. CRITTENDEN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, TWENTY-FIRST ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, E. Tenn., September 25, 1863.

Captain OLDERSHAW,
Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: A few minutes to 10 o'clock last evening a sharp picket fire was opened on my right; with what particular division it commenced I am not informed. My command promptly turned out under arms, prepared for action, supposing a night attack was meditated by the enemy. In the course of thirty minutes from the time it first commenced the firing extended leftward to my pickets, but they were not at any time very seriously engaged, and maintained their position.

I dispatched a staff officer, shortly after the firing had commenced on my right, to my pickets to examine their posting and order them to resist to the last. It is impossible to determine from the developments on my front whether there was any large force of the enemy near to me, but I am inclined to think it was small. By 11 p.m. the firing had ceased. Fires had been lighted in front of my line before the firing commenced, and I ordered them to be kept up during the night. There was no firing either of guns or musketry from my solid line; the picket firing was all. Two of my pickets lines to bring in the property of some citizen. I incline to the opinion that the noise made by these wagons, in connection with the reconnaissance of the afternoon, may have had something to do with the disturbances of the night.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

TH. J. WOOD,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, TWENTY-FIRST ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, E. Tenn., September 25, 1863.

Captain P. P. OLDERSHAW,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the accompanying documents, which I request that the general commanding the corps will transmit, with such indorsement as he may judge proper, to department headquarters. I think these documents clearly show, first, that the change I made in the position of my command during the night of the 6th instant was eminently proper and judicious, being imperatively demanded by the circumstances by which I was surrounded. Second, I think that these documents show further that the recon-