force and twenty-two pieces of artillery, some heavy guns. The force consisting of the following commands had crossed the river on the 11th instant: Richardson, three regiments cavalry; General McCulloch, six regiments cavalry, Kentucky; Forrest, two regiments mounted infantry and three regiments from Loring's division; Ferguson, five regiments State troops.

Orders were issued for ten days' cooked rations on the 11th; intend attacking Memphis, Colliersville, and Pocahontas. Ferguson, Pocahontas; Chalmers, Collierville; Forrest, Memphis. Forrest's headquarters, Panola; building railroad bridge across Tallahatchie. I will send scout to corps headquarters by to-morrow's train.

JAS. L. GEDDES,

Colonel, Commanding Pocahontas.

HDQRS. CHIEF OF CAVALRY, MIL. DIV., OF THE MISS.,
Memphis, Tenn., January 14, 1864.

Brigadier-General HATCH,

In Charge of Cavalry Bureau, Saint Louis, Mo.:

SIR: As our cavalry in West Tennessee and North Mississippi will be called upon for very active service within a few days, I am very anxious to complete their mounting and equipment as rapidly as possible. To that end I have ordered Captain Hudson, of General Grant's staff, temporarily assigned to duty with me, to proceed to Saint Louis and ask you to hurry forward horses and equipments designed for this department as rapidly as possible. Please give this department the preference for the present as far as you can consistently do so. Time is everything.

Yours, most truly,

WM. SOOY SMITH,

Brigadier General, Chief of Ca., Mil. Div. of the Miss.

CORINTH, January 14, 1864.

Major-General HURLBUT:

Lieutenant-Colonel Dodds, First Alabama Cavalry, reports that a recruiting party-Sergeant Mayfield, Company H, and 9 men-on 2nd instant surprised five wagons loaded with arms 7 miles south of Decatur and burned them and contents.

JNO. D. STEVENSON,

Brigadier-General.

HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, CAVALRY DIVISION,
Collierville, Tenn., January 14, 1864.

Captain S. L. WOODWARD,

Asst. Adjt. General, Cav. Div., Memphis, Tenn.:

CAPTAIN: I consider it of the utmost importance, if not necessity, that a regiment of cavalry be stationed at La Fayette; the small force at this place and the amount of work to be done render it impossible to send an adequate force from here to that place. We have one company there now, which in case of attack can make but feeble

7 R R-VOL XXXII, PT II