of the new levies, whom I could discipline and instruct, who could fight behind the breastworks, and leave my old division free to operate in the interior or along the river. I could easily give good employment to one regiment of unarmed men to man the artillery on the fort. I would be obliged if you would suggest this to General Halleck by telegraph, as it is bad policy to instruct infantry as artillerists and then take them away. Do not forget that I sent one of my regiments to Alton to be exchanged for the battalion of Thirteenth Infantry, which had been direct to Cincinnati. As near as I can learn the people in the interior are getting tired of guerrillas and partisan rangers, who are not over particular about horses and provisions, but help themselves liberally from friend and foe.

All well.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

NEAR CLEAR CREEK,

September 14, 1862.

Major-General GRANT:

Your dispatch received. Iuka office not open; no news from there to-day. Scout in from Bay Springs says no rebel force on the Bay Springs and Jacinto road yesterday. Du Blois has cavalry 4 miles below Booneville; no rebel force there 10 a. m. Two regiments left at the old camps at sunrise yesterday going east. Secret agent in from Orizaba; small camp there; another 4 miles southwest of Ripley. Falkner reported to be Price's body guard. Hamilton reports this a. m. our cavalry going to Iuka Springs; reports falling in with rebel cavalry near Barnett's; suppose it was the Armstrong cavalry that tried Iuka yesterday a. m. Hamilton says our cavalry was to attack them at daylight this morning, and he would pitch in with vigor. No news yet from Jacinto.

W. S. ROSECRANS.

Sharpshooters scared out of Burnsville by a few rebel pickets, stray scalawags from the Armstrong command.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,

Numbers 195.
Corinth, Miss., September 15, 1862.

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IV. Colonel M. M. Crocker, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, is hereby assigned temporarily to command an expedition eastward, to be composed of one regiment to be detailed by Major-General Ord, the Eighth Wisconsin and Eleventh Missouri, and such other troops of Brigadier-General Rosecrans' command as my be found east of Glendale. Colonel Crocker will report to Major-General Ord for instructions before leaving, and afterward report to and receive instructions from General Rosecrans, reporting by telegraph from Burnsville.

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By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

[JNO. A. RAWLINS,]

Assistant Adjutant-General.