A deserter came in,to-day from the enemy,and reports the main portion of Longstreet's army near Morristown. He says he heard a conversation, between two officers on the subject of their wagons which were left in Georgia,and that one them remarked that they would not miss them long, as they,troops, would not be here more that a couple of weeks longer. I will forward this prisoner to General Parke in the morning.

Since writing I have received the reports of a reconnaissance I sent to Talbott's Station. The reconnaissance was directed by Colonel La Grange with First Wisconsin Cavalry, Major Torrey. The command reached Talbott's Station with but slight skirmishing. General Armstrong's negro boy has just come in. He ran away when the rebels fell back from Talbott's Station. The information I received from him is confirmatory of that from other sources and already reported. The boy says that he heard General Armstrong say that if they should be defeated at Morristown and at Bull's Gap, they would all be taken prisoners.

I am, general, respectfully,

S. D. STURGIS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Cavalry Corps.

Brigadier-General POTTER,

Chief of Staff.

No. 3.

Reports of Brig. Gen. Washington L. Elliott, U. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Corps, Department of the Cumberland.

HDQRS. CHIEF OF CAV., DEPT. OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Camp near Mossy Creek, Tennessee, January 1, 1864.

GENERAL: In compliance with instructions from the major-general commanding the department,and those from Major-General Foster, commanding the Department of the Ohio, I marched from Kingston, Tennessee, december 15, 1863,with First and Second Brigades, and Seventh Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry,of Third Brigade, First Division of Cavalry, and Lilly's battery, Eighteenth Indiana, Colonel E. M. McCook, Second Indiana Cavalry, commanding, reported in person to Major-General Foster December 15, and received from him verbal instructions to cross Holston River and attack the cavalry of the enemy at or near Morristown, Tennessee The First Brigade crossed the Holston,barely fordable and rising, on the 16th, at Armstrong's Ford.

On the 17th,that brigade marched up the left bank of the Holston, the remainder of the troops marching up the right bank to Strawberry Plains, according to instructions from General Foster. I reported by letter from Strawberry Plains to Brigadier-General Sturgis, chief of cavalry, Army of the Ohio. From him and Major-General Parke I received orders, and on the 18th proceeded with my command to Nancy's Ford, on the Holston, found,upon examination, not to be fordable. The First Brigade recrossed the river at McKinney's Ford, above Strawberry Plains. The orders received by me not explaining that my command was ordered