that he saw no armed rebels in Broomtown Valley, but that Gatewood's and other guerrilla bands are there to the number of about 400 men (a large estimate I think). He learned at Alpine that Wheeler's headquarters were at Gadsden (some said at Blue Mountain), that small parties had been sent over to the line of the railroad from Dalton to Atlanta, and that it was his (Wheeler's) intention, so soon as Rome was evacuated, to march to Atlanta via Kingston. Mrs. Smith says that she saw the wife of an officer belonging to Wheeler's command, and also saw the officer himself, Captain Berry. The wife told Mrs. Smith that a party of twenty of Wheeler's men had gone up through La Fayette toward the railroad, in the direction of Dalton or Resaca, and Mrs. Smith corroborates the statement of Mr. Dorsey. The sergeant also saw Will Bailey and John Long, scouts, who have just returned from Will's Valley by way of Winston's Gap. They state also that they learned that Wheeler's headquarters were at Gadsden and that his intention was to go to Atlanta. The origin of the report that Wheelr was at La Fayette probably arose from the fact that Captain Pope (of Gatewood's party), calling himself a Texan ranger, had been in McLemore's Cove on Friday last with twenty men, had carried off a man by the name of William Brooks, and had told the people that Wheeler was at La Fayette and was going to range Lookout Mountain from end to end. I shall return to Wauhatchie by way of Johnston's Crook and Trenton.

I have the honor to be, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM F. COLTON,

Captain Company A, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cav., Commanding Detach.

CRAB ORCHARD, November 21, 1864.

Brigadier General N. C. McLEAN:

The Eleventh Kentucky has arrived, 130 men. Forty, under Captain Green, are at Aurora, Ind.; 10 with Colonel Graham, at Harrodsburg; 20 who went with Vance, on their way to Russellville; and 35 at Louisville, under Lieutenant Laird. Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry is the only one that we have here in any shape. Eleventh Michigan has only 185 men. I wish the troops collected and sent forward. Clear out Lexington, Nicholasville, and Camp Nelson of all officers and men. Hurry up the Thirteenth there, Buckley's, Stanhope's, and Johnson's, the Thirtieth and Thirty-ninth, and detachments of Forty-fifth and Thirty-seventh; there must be no delay. Let all move, night and day, and have them armed and equipped and supplied with ammunition; draw from Camp Nelson.

S. G. BURBRIDGE,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS,
Crab Orchard, November 21, 1864.

Brigadier General N. C. McLEAN:

I find only 800 men-being parts of the Twelfth Ohio, 150 men; Eleventh Michigan, 130 men; Thirtieth Kentucky, 125 men. Where is the balance of these regiments? Hurry them up; also send forward