tenant-general is not disposed to permit the army to rest long. The major-general commanding directs that Athens be not occupied by your troops, but that the entire corps be concentrated at Huntsville, and all returns made up to date, and full preparations made for the campaign at as early a date as possible.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. D. WHIPPLE,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

The following is the copy of the copy of the telegram referred to in the above letter:

WASHINGTON, December 31, 1864-11.30 a. m.

Major General GEORGE H. THOMAS:

Lieutenant-General Grant directs sall of your force not essential to hold your communication be collected on the Tennessee River, say at Eastport or Tuscumbia, and be made ready for such movements as may be orders. It is supposed that a portion of the troops in Louisville and other parts of Kentucky and Tennessee can be available for active operation elsewhere. General Dodge wishes you to return to Saint Louis the Thirty-ninth Missouri Infantry, so that he may complete its organization. Please give us the earliest possible notice of Hood's line of retreat, so that orders may be given for a continuation of the campaign. Lieutenant-General Grant does not intend that your army shall go into winter quarters; it must be ready for active operations in the field.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

January 7 to February 1.-The whole corps remained into camp int he vicinity of the city.

Reports of Surg. J. Theodore Heard, Medical Director, Fourth Army Corps, of operations November 29-30 and December 15-26, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH ARMY CORPS, MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, Nashville, Tenn., December 12, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the medical department of the Fourth Army Corps at the battle of Spring Hill and Franklin, November 29 and 30, respectively:

On the morning of the 29th of November the Fourth Corps (three divisions) and the Twenty-third Corps (two divisions) were in position on the north bank of Duck River, opposite Columbia, Tenn. The enemy, or the larger portion of the rebel army, was upon the south bank and confronting our lines. At 9 a. m. the Second Division, Fourth Corps, marched for Spring Hill, accompanied by and guarding all the trains of the army, with the exception of twenty ambulances left with the First and Third Divisions, Fourth Corps, which divisions were ordered to remain with the Twenty-third Corps until dark and then withdraw with the rest of the army. About 2 p. m., the head of column being within one mile of Spring Hill, the general commanding was informed that the cavalry of the enemy was pushing back our cavalry and rapidly approaching the town. The troops were at once pushed forward at double-quick, passed through the town, charged the enemy, checked him, and finally caused him to retire. The division was then placed in position to protect the pike on which the trains were moving. About 4 p. m. the right brigade(Thrid Brigade, Brigadier-General