KNOXVILLE, TENN.,

April 24, 1864.

Brigadier-General HASCALL,

Mossy Creek:

The order to move to Bull's Gap was sent this morning. It is now too late to do any good, hence the order is countermanded. The fault was in the operator at Mossy Creek. Investigate and inform me the cause of it.

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Nashville, Tenn., April 24, 1864.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN:

Three veteran regiments, Thirty-second Ohio, Thirtieth Illinois, and Sixteenth Wisconsin, with an aggregate of 1,705 men, have reached Cairo. Brigadier-General Leggett has arrived there and reported for duty. The Twentieth, Sixty-eighth, and Seventy-eighth Ohio Regiments, which should have been ready to return to Cairo before the end of this month, will not leave Ohio before the 6th or 7th of May, their furlough not being up until that date, as they were detained several days to be paid off before their furloughs were given them. I am afraid the same thing may have occurred in some of the other States. It is going to be a difficult matter to bring the two divisions up to 5,000 men each, leaving out Brigadier General T. Kilby Smith's command up Red River, but I suppose it cannot be helped now. Have you anything definite from Forrest? The accounts I get here are very conflicting. Some reports state that he is still in Jackson, Tenn., others that he is moving south.

JAS B. McPHERSON,

Major-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Nashville, April 24, 1864.

General McPHERSON,

Huntsville:

Let the regiments at Cairo, the detachments, and transportation come up to Clifton at once, and some general officer left there to forward the others as fast they come. To save time I will order the Twentieth, Sixty-eighth, and Seventy-eighth Ohio Regiments to come to you all the way by railroad via Nashville, and try and get them started by May 1. Nothing from Forrest. Hurlbut reports him positively south of La Grange. Washburn will soon find out. Make up the best force you can for your projected advance, and I will try and get some detachments to protect your roads until all your troops reach you. Get as near 30,000 as you can. I will send the pontoon down by the cars, but they need not start across the Tennessee till we know we will want them.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.