River, and then push it up on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad between the latter river and the Pascagoula, while in the meantime I intended to make a bold demonstration on Mobile. In this manner I felt sure of breaking the trestling and bridges over the headquarters of Pascagoula and Dog Rivers, but the movement of which you advise me is undoubtedly more important just now. With the small force I have will do the best I can. The amount of excellent lumber in our possession will probably be not less than from 3,000 to 4,000 feet, besides resin, cotton,a nd steam machinery of value. If the general can possibly spare two or three more regiments of infantry, with the cavalry now here, I think we can hold our position and secure the lumber, besides damaging the rebels not a little. The steamers J. M. Brown, A. G. Brown, Swaim, and Tamaulipas can ascend Dog River to Good's Mill, where the bulk of the lumber is. The rebel papers and prisoners report that Pollard and the Mobile and Montgomery Railroad have "gone up." Please give orders for our transports returning from Lakeport to West Pascagoula for cavalry to bring me such rations, forage, and materials as I may make requisitions for. I need a topographical engineer very much to map the country; our present maps are worthless. The rebels gave us a slight brush day before yesterday, we losing one man; to-day we returned the compliment by bringing down a rebel officer.

I am, colonel, very respectfully,

G. GRANGER,

Major-General, Commanding.

P. S.-I am placing the lumber in cribs, ready for towing or rafting down the river as early as possible.

G. G.

HOPKINSVILLE, December 20, 1864.

Colonel O. H. LA GRANGE:

I received your dispatch last night, and am much gratified with the vigor of your pursuit. I have sent part of Watkins' command toward the river. I judge from Lyon's attempting to cross at Ashbysburg, he intends taking Morgan's old route, through Elizabethtown and to Eastern Kentucky. I have sent dispatches to Louisville, so that he may be headed off, if he goes that [way]. Let me here form you if he goes toward Bowling Green, so that I may move down in that direction. I hope, however, that you have struck him before he crossed the river. I will wait here to hear from you.

E. M. McCOOK,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, Ashbysburg, Ky., December 20, 1864.

Captain ROBERT LE ROY,

Asst. Adjt. General, First Cav. Div., Mil. Div. of the Miss.:

CAPTAIN: Lyon crossed Green river at this point, with about 900 men, on the 18th and 19th instant, and destroyed the ferry-boats for ten miles up and down the river. On the evening of the 19th my advance, after marching thirty miles over terrible roads, drove a portion of his