You will move with light wagons, repairing all roads as you advance, getting you supplies from the country through which the army is moving, sending back to Grenada what supplies you may be able to collect. You will communication with these headquarters by telegraph as you move forward.

I am, general, very respectfully,

J. R. WADDY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CAMP ON DEER CREEK, January 15, 1863.

Brigadier-General HERBERT,

Commanding at Snyder's Bluff:

We have had thirty-six of constant rain, and this morning the temporarily arrested by this weather and the almost impassable condition of the roads.

From a reliable source I learned yesterday that the Yanke fleet was seriously troubled for fuel on its upward passage. It was delayed two days chopping wood and packing off fence. I had, when here before, fortunately burned about 10,000 cords of wood on the river bank near Creenville. They stopped at that point and gathered every stray stick remaining. It was whilst engaged in this work for two days near Greenwille that General Reynolds, of the Federal Army (who is from Missouri, I think), restored to Mrs. Polk, wife of Dr. Thomas Polk, a pair of carriage horses, stolen from her as the expedition against Vicksburg was descending. He denounced ion the strongest terms those acts of pillage of private [property], and discoursed with much freedom and force the present war and the object of its promotion. He states that the people of the West had engaged in its contest solely for the preservation of the Union and the unrestricted navigation of the Mississippi River. That Lincoln's emancipation proclamation of 1st of January had converted the war into an abolition crusade, which would not be approved by the people of the West, and would entirely estrange them from the Lincoln Government. The recent attack upon Vicksburg had resulted in a bloody repulse and they were fully convicted of the utter impossibility of reducing the place; that the men had refused to renew the attack and were prepared to throw down their arms it it had been insisted on. He went on further to say that a union of New England with the West was impossible; that the natural and proper allies of his section were the Southern States, and to them they would cling.

These are strange utterances for a Federal general and may indicate a radical change of Western sentiment and action. To be sure it may be they were the inspirations of the Vicksburg reverse, but still he would scarcely have ventured upon such declarations without the conviction of strong support among his own people.

After Lieutenant Bradford's visit to Millikin's Bend he proceeded by my instructions directly up the river as far as Greenville. he has not yet returned to the command. I will write you fully the result of his observations.

The roads above the Rolling Fork of Deer Creed, leading in the direction of the Yazoo, are utterly impassable. In addition to their recent observation I learn that the rain-water has accumulated so rapidly that it is now swimming to a horse.

A returned prisoner observed on a map of this river district, hanging