HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS, Chattanooga, October 19, 1863.

Major General P. H. SHERIDAN,
Commanding Second Division, Fourth Army Corps:

GENERAL: The general commanding directs that you place your troops in their proper position in line, as the same has been assigned to them, to-morrow morning at daylight.

Very respectfully,your obedient servant,

J. S. FULLERTON,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

STEVENSON, October 19, 1863-9 a.m.

Brig. General R. GRANGER:

Dispatch received. Have just received orders from department headquarters to hold my command in readiness to march at short notice. Your will be the only troops left on the line when I leave, therefore I cannot relieve them. Confer with General Rosecrans on the subject.

JOSEPH HOOKER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND U. S. COLORED INFANTRY, Camp Rosecrans, October 19, 1863.

Major G. L. STEARNS,
Assistant Adjutant-General,&c., Nashville:

MAJOR: I have the honor to report my command encamped on the west end of Section 30, Northwestern Railroad, and distant from your city 30 miles. I am advanced 2 miles beyond the two companies of the First Middle Tennessee Infantry, and, so far as our forces are concerned, the advance of Federal troops in this direction. From the peculiar of the country, and from all the information received, both from officers on this line and citizens of the neighborhood on whom I could depend, I concluded to intrench my command. To accomplish this end I have had my men continually on duty, either "picket" or "fatigue," with the exceptions of a few companies sent to guard engineers survey the road 6 or 8 miles in our front and the necessary foraging guards to procure forage for our animals. In my present location I can hardly spare any forces to labor on the railroad, and therefore think that the object for which I was sent out here cannot be accomplished. If the regiment was full and a full complement of officers, I would require no more guards than now, and would be able to accomplish something and at the same time protect loyal men of the neighborhood, who are kept continually in a state of terror by small bands of guerrillas and horse-thieves that congregate in the vicinity.

The necessary for completing the organization of the regiment immediately is very plain. If in our present state we can do no good service here, we might as well have remained in camp in Nashville, and in my opinion much better, as we are now simply an outpost, constantly in danger, with no chance to improve our drill and discipline. My officers, although willing and faithful, are in dread in case we