WATER VALLEY, December 13, 1862.

Major-General GRANT, Oxford:

I am not advised as to Colonel Dickney's intended route. I will move as you direct. No infantry has yet arrived here. I will have to leave a guard over the bridges in this vicinity. Cannot move. Cavalry will be sent to the front to make a considerable demonstration, or is your desire that no advance be made farther than that indicated in your last dispatch?

J. K. MIZNER,

Colonel, Commanding Cavalry.

OXFORD, MISS., December 14, 1862.

Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN:

I have not had one word from Grirson since he left, and am getting uneasy about him. I hope General Gorman will give you no difficulty about returning the troops that were on this side of the river,and Steele to command them. The 21,000 men you have, with 12,000 from Helena, will make a good force. The enemy are as yet on the Yalabusha. I am pushing down on them slowly, but so as to keep up the impression of a continuous move. I feel particularly anxious to have the Helena on this side of the river, if not now, at least after you start. If Gorman will send them, instruct them where to go and how to communicate with me. My headquarters will probably be in Coffeeville one week hence; in the mean time I will be at Spring Dale. It would be well if you could have two or three small boats suitable for navigating the Yazoo. It may become necessary for me to look to that base for supplies before we get through.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN ARKANSAS,
Helena, December 14, 1862.

Brigadier-General STEELE,

Commanding First Division:

GENERAL: I am directed to say that the general commanding wishes you to get your division in complete readiness to embark on transports on the 18th instant at this place. You will take four teams to the regiment for their transportation by land. You will only allow such an amount of camp and garrison equipage, hospital stores, and officers' baggage as can be easily carried in the transportation allowed. You will turned over all other camp and garrison equipage to the chief quartermaster and all excess of teams not allowed by this order. You will have the sick of your command left in proper care at this place. There must be no delay in getting on board transports when notified of their readiness. You will take twenty days' rations for 10,000 men with you, which will be put on board your transport, and forage for 500 cavalry and 100 artillery horses, with medical stores for all.

You will see that your command have 40 rounds of cartridges in their boxes. you will take an ammunition train sufficient to take all your reserve ammunition, say 80 additional rounds to the man to that in the men's cartridge-boxes.