You will please to communicate frequently with these headquarters, giving as full information as possible of the condition of affairs in your department.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

BARBOURSVILLE, KY., January 8, 1864.

(Received 7.20 p.m.)

Major-General HALLECK,

General-in-Chief:

Owing to the want of clothing, particularly shoes, in Foster's command, it is impossible to move more than 60 per cent, of his men until they are supplied. Clothing is now on the way, and it is hoped will be in Knoxville within one week from this time. I have directed Foster then to attack and drive Longstreet at least beyond Bull's Gap and Red Bridge. In the mean time I have directed the Ninth and Twenty-third Corps to be pushed on to Mossy Creek, the Fourth Corps to Strawberry Plains, and the cavalry to Dandridge, to scout and forage south of the French Broad and threaten Longstreet's flank.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

CHATTANOOGA, TENN., January 8, 1864-10.30 p.m.

(Received 1 a.m., 9th.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK:

I have just seen Colonel McCallum, superintendent of military railroads in Virginia. He tells me he has engaged 1,200 men to come to this department to work on the railroads; but that Mr. J. B. Anderson, military director of railroads in this department, tells him he does not want them. Knowing that their services are needed badly, I have requested Colonel McCallum to send for them and set them to work on the Northwestern Railroad, and, when that is completed, to send them here to repair the railroad from this place to Knoxville. Unless we have these roads put in order very soon we shall fail. I have refrained heretofore from giving an opinion on the merits of the present system, but we have been on the verge of failure long enough, and now that there appears to be a chance of getting the roads in condition, I cannot afford to lose it.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ANDERSON CAVALRY,
Squire Brimer's, on Muddy Creek, 5 miles from

Dandridge, on south side of French Broad River,

On Newport Road, January 8, 1864-10 a.m.

General ELLIOTT:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that Morgan's division of rebel cavalry is encamped on the north side of French Broad