Battery L, First Regiment Michigan Volunteer Artillery. Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps-Ninth Ohio Battery, Twentieth Indian Battery.

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XVI. The following changes and assignments of batteries are hereby ordered:

Battery B, First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Artillery, is assigned to duty in the garrison of Bridgeport, Ala., to report to Major W. P. Edgarton, First Ohio Volunteer Artillery, commanding garrison artillery. Battery K, First Ohio Volunteer Artillery, Captain Lewis Heckman, is relieved from further duty at Bridgeport, Ala., and is assigned to duty at Stevenson, Ala., to form the permanent garrison of that post.

The Ninth Ohio Battery, Fourth Division, Twentieth Army Corps, will proceed to Bridgeport, Ala., forthwith, reporting to the chief of artillery, Twentieth Army Corps. The Second Kentucky Battery is relieved from further duty at Decherd and Elk River, and will relieve the Ninth Ohio Battery at Tullahoma, Tenn.

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By command of Major-General Thomas:

WM. D. WHIPPLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Nashville, April 20, 1864-7 p.m.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding U. S. Armies, Washington, D. C.:

General Schofield reports positive information that Longstreet has gone to Virginia, and has not destroyed the railroad. I have ordered him to feel up as far as Watauga and expect the enemy will break that bridge. If the do not, I will order it done. Hovey can occupy the road above Hiwassee, and Thomas will now collect his whole command from Cleveland to Bridgeport, ready to unite at Chattanooga on a day's notice and be all ready to advance. Schofield only awaits my orders to drop down with his complement to Hiwassee.

Guntersville will, in my judgment, be the place of concentration for McPherson, but his two furloughed divisions have not yet rendezvoused at Cairo, though all his transportation is there ready to come up the Tennessee as soon as the regiments come in.

No authentic news from Red River, although it seems the enemy will have had time to make a concentration at Shreveport. I have the rumor of a check at Mansfield, which must be partial, for Mansfield is back from Red River on the Texas road.

If Banks, Smith, Steele, and the gun-boats all reach Shreveport in concert, they ought to make short work. Still I have nothing satisfactory from that quarter.

Hurlbut reports from Memphis that Forrest has escaped south by way of La Grange. It does seem as though he has not made the least effort to stop him or molest him. He is on his way to Cairo, and I will bring him round to his corps at Decatur. I have not yet heard of Washburn or Prince. If Forrest is below Memphis, ought we not to disturb him by way of the Yazoo and Grenada?

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.