once to Paducah. We have ordered boats from Cairo and all points sufficient for the movement, and have satisfatory replies. I hope to leave Paducah by Tuesday and be at General Schofield's headquarters by Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Everything now looks favorable. Will telegraph you from Paducah.

Very respectfully,

LEWIS B. PARSONS,

Colonel and Chief of Rail and River Transportation.

21.] WASHINGTON, D. C., January 12, 1865.

Brigadier General ROBERT ALLEN,

Chief Quartermaster, Louisville, Ky.:

Colonel L. B. Parsons left here last night for Louisville, to take general direction of the transportation of Major-General Schofield's corps from the Tennessee River to Chesapeake Bay, just ordered to Lieutenant-General Grant. The movement will be made as far as possible by boats from Easport. If the state of navigation will allow, the troops will not be debarked till they reach Parkersburg; but if necessary, they will take the railroad, eighter at Cairo, Evansville, Jeffersonville, or Cincinnati. Colonel Parsons cannot reach Louisville before Friday night; meanwhile please open any dispatches that may be addressed to him, and make all such arrangements respective steam-boats as, in your judgment, will expeidte and facilitate the movement. The troops only you be moved, leaving their transportation behind.

C. A. DANA,

Assistant Secretary of War.

22.] LOUISVILLE, January 13, 1865.

General J. L. DONALDSON,

Nashville:

General Schofield's corps is ordred East. Instruct all boats returning from Nashville to go to Paducah, and there wait further orders. Let me know how many steamers you can send from Nashville within two days. Answer immediately. What is the strength of General Schofield's corps?

ROBERT ALLEN,

Brigadier-General.

23.] NASHVILLE, January 12 [14?], 1865.

Brigadier-General ALLEN:

Telegram of 12. 40 received. I am not positive as to the strength of Major-General Schofield's command, but suppose it is about 15,000 men. No means of knowing any more certainly here. There are but two steamers at Nashville, and they are now loading for Eastport. Everything else gone to Eastport since changed to that base, and nothing returned here. Have sent twenty-six steamers from here in all and none have yet returned, except my dispatch boats, which are not included in the above. All of them ought to be either at Eastport