creased vigilance, and turned out a part of my escort and the company or regular there as mounted patrols to drive all soldiers not belonging to the guard back to their camps, ordered strong camp guards to keep them in, and sent all stray negroes to the contraband camp.

I was riding about the town a great part of the night with Colonel Loomis and succeeded in putting out several fires and preventing any important houses from being burned, except the Magnolia Hotel, though there were a number of small unoccupied frame structures on the north and east side of the town destroyed.

Saturday at 7 a.m. the wagon trains started as directed. The patrols were kept up during the day and no one allowed in town except on business, and citizens ordered to stay at home.

At 12 m. General Lauman was directed to strike his camp and have his command ready to march at a moment's notice. Cotton and property of various kinds had during the forenoon accumulated to such an extent at the depot that two more trains, making five in all, would be necessary to remove everything. These I telegraphed for and the answer came back that they would be down before dark.

At 3 p.m. General Lauman was directed to send all his trains to the north side of Coldwater, escorted by two regiments of infantry, and park there. When the last train arrived the pickets were called in and the column put in motion for Coldwater just as the train was loaded and ready to return with everything on board except two boxes of cavalry equipments, which were accidently left.

I remained until after 9 o'clock, when all the troops had left except 400 of Colonel Grierson's cavalry, which had orders to scour the town and remain until next morning, when they could fall back to their camp at Coldwater. There were no houses on fire when I left, and Colonel Grierson reports that none were burned during the night. The command camped at Coldwater, and the next morning was put in motion for La Grange and Moscow, which points were reached that same evening without accident or molestation. The troops along the line of the railroad were instructed to fall back and join their respective commands as soon as all property was removed from Hudsonville and Lamar.

Sunday morning after our cavalry left about 40 of Mitchell's guerrillas came in town but remained only a short time.

Monday Colonel Grierson went in with two regiments of cavalry, remained from 9 a.m. until nearly 1 p.m., scouted the country in every direction and could see or hear nothing of any enemy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. B. McPHERSON,

Major-General.

Major General U. S. GRANT, Memphis Tenn.

Numbers 6.

Reports of Colonel Albert L. Lee, Seventh Kansas Cavalry, of skirmish at Holly Springs, November 13, and of expedition from Grand Junction to Ripley, November 19-20.

HOLLY SPRINGS, MISS., November 13, 1862-daylight.

GENERAL: I have just entered this city and my pickets are polluting the "sacred soil" some 2 miles below it. I found a considerable force of cavalry, but they skedaddle. We charged their pickets 2 miles