DEMOPOLIS, April 3, 1864.

The following dispatch just received from General Forrest:

JACKSON, TENN., VIA WATERFORD, April 2, 1864.

Six hundred Federal prisoners will arrive at Ripley, Miss., to-day, en route for Demopolis. Colonel Neely engaged Hurst on the 29th of March near Bolivar, capturing his entire wagon train, routing and driving him to Memphis, killing 30, and capturing 35 prisoners, killing 2 captains, and capturing 1.

L. POLK,

Lieutenant-General.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond.

HEADQUARTERS FORREST'S CAVALRY DEPARTMENT,
Jackson, Tenn., April 4, 1864.

COLONEL: I desire respectfully and briefly to state that Lieutenant-Colonel Crews, commanding battalion, met the enemy yesterday morning, and after a sharp little engagement repulsed and drove them back to Raleigh. The enemy's force was two regiments of cavalry of Grierson's command. The fight occurred 15 miles east of Raleigh, on Somerville road. Colonel Crews lost 1 man severely and 1 slightly wounded. The enemy had 6 killed and 15 or 20 wounded and 3 prisoners.

In all engagements so far in West Tennessee my loss in the aggregate is 15 killed and 42 wounded. Among the killed Colonel Thompson, commanding Kentucky brigade, whose death was reported to you by telegraph. Lieutenant-Colonel Lannom, of Faulkner's regiment, reported mortally wounded, is, I am glad to say, rapidly recovering.

The loss of the enemy thus far is as follows: 79 killed, 102 wounded, and 612 captured.

I have as far as prudent allowed my troops an opportunity of going home. Am now concentrating and preparing for any move the enemy may make, or for offensive operations, they do not move on me. I feel confident of my ability to whip any cavalry they can send against me, and can, if necessary, avoid their infantry. If permitted to remain in West Tennessee, or rather, if it is not the of the lieutenant-general commanding to order me else-where until driven out by the enemy, would be glad to have my artillery with me, and will send for it, as I could operate effectively with my rifle battery on the rivers. With the small guns I have here it would be folly to attempt the destruction or capture of boats. I am yet in hopes the lieutenant-general commanding will repair and operate the railroad to Corinth, as suggested in a former letter. I, of course, cannot tell what demands are being made on him for troops, but am clearly of opinion that with a brigade of infantry at Corinth as a force upon which I could fall back if too hard pressed, that I can hold West Tennessee against three times my numbers, and could send rapidly out from here all conscripts and deserters for service in infantry. At present it is impracticable, as I am without the transportation necessary to supply them with rations to Okolona through a country already depleted and whose inhabitants are suffering for food. I find corn scarcer than I had thought, but have plenty of meal, flour, and bacon for troops. If supplied with the right kind of money or cotton can furnish my command with all small-arm ammunition required, and I think with small-arms also.