HEADQUARTERS FORAGING EXPEDITION,
Dutch Bottom, Tenn., January 14, 1865.

Brigadier General D. TILLSON,

Commanding 2nd Brigadier, 4th Div., 23rd Army Corps, Knoxville, Tenn.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that the expedition is now at this place gathering the forage in the bottom, and putting it in cribs on the river-bank, in compliance with orders received by Mr. Wild. I would also submit to you the following facts, i.e.: The fords on the rivers above us are now passable, and General Vaughn is first on one side of the river and then on the other with from 400 to 500 men, and the independent scouts and guerrillas number about 130 men of the most desperate character, some of whom have been sometimes in sight. There is no force at all above us, and, in fact, none hardly at supporting distance. The First Ohio Heavy Artillery are still at Dandridge, but the French Broad cannot be crossed anywhere between here and there, and then it is eleven miles below us, the nearest route. The Fourth Tennessee Infantry is still at Evan's Island, twenty miles below here. It is only twenty-seven miles to Greeneville, the headquarters of General Vaugh, and eight miles to Newport, where the scouts congregate. In gathering the forage in this valley it is necessary that the force should be scattered sometimes, and as it is every time we do so it exposes us to an attack that might prove disastrous to us. With an addition to the cavalry force I could keep up a more systematic manner of scouting the country, but as it is the forty-five men that I now have are kept so busy that they are injuring their horses. Up the river and on the Pigeon and Crosby there is any quantity of corn and fodder that we cannot touch, owing to the impossibility of hauling it to some accessible place for the boats, and as that is the home of the bushwhacker, and where they keep their stock, and throughout a most damnably secession hole, I would suggest the propriety of sending up quite a cavalry force to live off that country, and either drive not those guerrillas or make the country untenable for any rebel force. There is almost forage enough to fatten all the horses at Knoxville in that section of country, that would have to be left for the benefit of our enemies otherwise. I have not sent Companies D and I of my regiment to Knoxville as yet, because I do not deem the position here as a safe one for so small a force as I would then have. None of the boats have reported yet, and as to our cribbing the corn and leaving it on the banks of the river, the idea is ludicrous, as we would not leave them an hour before they would be burned or destroyed, and I durst not divide my force to guard it. I would respectfully call your attention to the fact that Lieutenant Hall, under my direction, has been acting assistant commissary of subsistence for the expedition. I was obliged to appoint one, as Mr. Wild, the forage agent, received orders not to receipt for any more commissary stores, and we had to live. I have the honor to request that you use your influence in procuring an order appointing him an acting assistant commissary of subsistence, to bear date January 1, 1865. The scouts report that the guerrillas have sent to Asheville for ammunition-their being out of which has kept them quiet; but I have no doubt that when they get a supply we will be bothered with them, as they are remarkably active, almost daily visible, in squads of fifteen to thirty, and always run when fired upon. Their intention seems to be to locate our picket-posts and surprise them. We are equally watchful, and do not intend for them to outwit us in the least; but, in order to prevent surprise, it is necessary to guard the approaches over an extent of three miles on the land side, while we have a guard at the ford on