HEADQUARTERS FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Tunnel Hill, February 24, 1864. (Received 12 p.m.)

Brigadier-General CRUFT,

Commanding First Division, Fourth Army Corps:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs that you move at 3 o'clock a.m. to-morrow with your whole force and join with Grose as soon as possible.

Very respectfully,

D. W. NORTON,

Major and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

BRIDGEPORT, ALA., February 24, 1864,

(Received 7.15 p.m.)

Major-General SLOCUM,

Tullahoma:

My scouts from the Sequatchie Valley from the direction of La Fayette, Ga., and southward, report they have thus far been unable

to find any enemy of importance approaching in this direction.

Information from the front confirms the report.

JNO. W. GEARY,

Brigadier General, Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps.

LOOKOUT VALLEY, February 24, 1864

Brigadier-General GEARY:

The enemy have no troops at La Fayette nor north of the Tennessee River, unless it should be small bands of guerrillas.

HOOKER,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Huntsville, February 24, 1864.

Colonel BOWERS,

A. A. G., Mil. Div. of the Mississippi, Nashville, Tenn.:

COLONEL: I understand that General Thomas has not moved and does not intend to, and I would therefore respectfully request that the troops on service from my command in that department be ordered to return. As soon as they do return I will be enabled to complete the railroad to Decatur in a short time; as it is I cannot put the necessary force to work upon it. I am, however, doing all I can toward it.

I wish to remind you that, including the force sent to General Thomas, there are twenty-five regiments of infantry absent from the command, and in my judgment, considering all the circumstances, the greatest necessity exists for the immediate return of the detachment herein referred to which is now under the immediate command of Brigadier General C. L. Matthies.

A number of the regiments under General Matthies are veteran regiments and ought to be permitted to go home as soon as possible;