JACKSON, December 12, 1862.

Major-General GRANT:

Scouts from Tennessee River report at Bethel that Forrest's cavalry are marching via Waynesborough from Columbia, striking the river at Savannah. I will order all the roads obstructed and try and force them south. Cannonading was heard in the direction of Yellow Creek to-day from Bethel. the people of this district are flocking in to take the oath. I allow them until Monday.

JER. C. SULLIVAN,

Brigadier-General.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY IN THE FIELD,

Numbers 21.
Oxford, Miss., December 12, 1862.

I. Distress and almost famine having been brought on many of the inhabitants of Mississippi by the march of the two armies through the land, and humanity dictating that in a land of plenty no one should suffer the pangs of hunger, the general commanding directs that the following provision shall be made at all military posts within this State:

II. At each post one or move loyal persons will be authorized to keep for sale provisions and absolute necessaries for family use. Nothing will be sold except on permits granted by the commanding officers of posts, and no permits will be granted for a greater amount of any one article than the commander may believe is necessary for the family of the purchaser.

III. A fund may be created at each post to supply the necessaries of destitute families gratis, either by laying contributions upon those disloyal persons who are able to pay, taking cotton brought to their posts, for sale, or in any other equitable way.

IV. All contributions so selected will be expended by the accounts will be kept separate from all other accounts.

V. The commanding officers of posts will require all accounts of these disbursements to be presented for their examination weekly, and they will be held responsible that these accounts are properly kept.

VI. All such accounts will be open for inspection to the inspector-general of the departmental any time he may call for them.

* * * * * * *

By order of Major General U. S. Grant;

[JNO. A. RAWLINS,]

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CAIRO, December 12, 1862.

O. H. ROSS, Esq.,

In Charge of Mails for General Grant's Army:

You will without delay take possession of all mail-locks, keys, or other property belonging to the Post-Office Department found in the hands of any one in the liens of the army except the adjutant-general or other officer at headquarters. you will turn the same over to the postmaster at Cairo, taking his receipt for the same.

A. H. MARKLAND,

Special Agent Post-Office Department.