from here, reports a force of several hundred stealing horses, & c. I have sent out my mounted infantry to scout there. Can I not have Hawkins' men? They would be invaluable. What do you hear from Paducah?

WM. HUDSON LAWRENCE,

Colonel Thirty-fourth New Jersey Volunteers, Commanding

CHATTANOOGA, TENN., March 26, 1864 - 10 p. m.

(Received 3.30 a. m., 27th.)

Major THOMAS T. ECKERT,

Assistant Manager U. S. Military Telegraph:

A scout just arrived brings following:

Martin's division rebel cavalry had arrived at Cartersville, Ga., from Longstreet's command. Rebels have removed all their heavy artillery from Kingston to Allatoona. Longstreet's force of 26,000 men are to be mounted immediately and sent on raid into Kentucky. Rebel officers say when Longsreet goes to Kentucky Johnston will capture East Tennessee. Forrest is in Southern Kentucky.

SAM. BRUCH.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPT. AND ARMY OF THE TENN.,

Huntsville, Ala., March 26, 1864.

Numbers 1.

I. In compliance with General Orders, Numbers 98, Adjutant-General's Office, of date Washington, D. C., March 12, 1864, the undersigned hereby assumes command of the Department and Army of the Tennessee.

II. Lieutenant Colonel William T. Clark, assistant adjutant-general, is announced as adjutant-general of the department, to whom reports and returns will be addressed. The staff for the department will be selected and announced in orders.

JAS. B. MCPHERSON,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Chattanooga, Tenn., March 27, 1864.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Chief of Staff, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

MY DEAR GENERAL: Your letter of the 19th instant, inclosing me my commission as brigadier-general, U. S. Army, was received yesterday.

Please accept my sincere thanks for your kind and complimentary letter, which I can assure you was as acceptable as the commission.

Very respectfully and truly, yours,

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers.

HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Athens, Ala., March 27, 1864.

Major General J. B. MCPHERSON,

Commanding Dept. and Army of the Tennessee, Huntsville, Ala.:

GENERAL: When you and General Sherman were here I could not, on account of sickness, give you as good an idea of the roads crossing the mountains as I desired, but will now give in writing a