WASHINGTON, October 1, 1863-11.30 p.m. [Received 4th.]

Major-General HURLBUT,

Memphis:

Your dispatch of 27th received.* All available forces must be pushed on toward Rosecrans as fast as possible. Your attention must be directed particularly to repair of railroad and the transportation of supplies toward Decatur.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Memphis, Tenn., October 1, 1863.

Major-General HALLECK,
General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: I send you the report of a scout who has just returned from the South. I have very closely examined him, and from the passes in his possession and my knowledge of the persons and places spoken of, have no doubt he has been where he alleges himself to have been.

The position of the Blakely 600-pounder guns at Charleston is important. They are at the point of the battery and can be avoided by passing close to Castle Pinckney, as they do not give much elevation to the pieces.

His statements as to troops below my immediate line, I know to be substantially correct. A copy has also been forwarded to Major-General Grant.

We are very much hindered by the low water in all the rivers, by want of forage, and want of fuel below this point.

Your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

The strength of the Confederate army of General Bragg at the time he retreated from Chattanooga-his whole force-was not over 20,000 men, but now he has Buckner's division of about 8,000 men. General Longstreet brought out with him 18,000 men, although the transportation in Richmond was issued for 21,000 men, but he left Anderson's brigade [3,000 men] in Charleston. Longstreet has in his corps one hundred and fifty pieces of artillery. The whole of the Washington Artillery is with him. They have four batteries, four guns in each battery. He left, however, some of his artillery with Pickett's division in Virginia. Johnston had sent to Bragg French's division [about 5,000 men]; also of Breckinridge's division 4,500. General Breckinridge had over 8,000 in his division, but they had sent some off to General Beauregard. Therefore General Bragg had at the last battle about 60,000 men, for a brigade of Longstreet's was on their way yet.

General Beauregard has between 12,000 and 13,000 men in Charleston, and a brigade at Pocotaligo [besides three regiments of sixmonths' State troops], and about the same number in Savannah.

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*See Part III, p.888.

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