GENERAL ROSECRANS' HEADQUARTERS,

Corinth, October 11, 1862.

GENERAL: We have been paroling the prisoners and sending them north to a depot for exchange. The wounded are sent to Iuka hospital; this hospital is regarded within our lines. We have one of our surgeons there. I have notified the Confederate troops that either they must not come therefor they must take care of their sick and wounded themselves. If you wish I will send the remaining prisoners, as you desire, south, but would it not be well to let the remainder go with those already sent to Benton Barracks. We have already buried 1,146 rebels and have 2,116 prisoners, besides which I know of 300 more on their way in.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major-General.

General GRANT, Jackson.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, THIRD DIVISION, DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Corinth, Miss., October 25, 1862.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit, for the information of he major-general commanding the district, the following report of the battle of Corinth:

PRELIMINARIES.

The rumors which followed the battle of Iuka were that Price had marched to the vicinity of Ripley na was eying joined by Van Dorn, with all the available rebel forces in North Mississippi, for the purpose of capturing Corinth or breaking our line of communication of forcing us to retreat toward Columbus. These rumors gained strength until October 1, when strong cavalry scouts, sent out for the purpose, demonstrated the fact that the rebels were moving in force from Ripley via Ruckersville and that the main body was at Pocahontas. The question then was where would they strike the main blow? Equally favorably situated to strike Bolivar, Bethel, Jackson, or Corinth, which would it be? Unfortunately for me there was no map of the country northwest of this place to be found, therefore I could not tell whether to expect a strong demonstration here to hold us in suspense while the blow was struck elsewhere or vice versa. Rumors via Bethel were so rife, and the fortifications of Corinth were so well known to the rebels,that I had hopes they would undertake to mask me, and, passing north, give me an opportunity to beat the masking force and cut off their retreat. This hope gained some strength from the supposed difficulties of the country lying in the triangle formed by the Memphis and Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio Railroads and Cypress Creek. To be prepared for eventualities, Hamilton's and Stanley's divisions were placed just beyond Bridge Creek, the infantry outposts were called in from Iuka, Burnsville, Rienzi, and Danville, and the outpost at Chewalla retired to near Alexander's, and strengthened by another regiment and a battery early on the morning of the 2d. During that day evidences increased showing the practicability of the country northwest of us, and disclosed the fact, not before known, that there were two good roads from Chewalla eastward, one leading directly into the old rebel entrenchments.