HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
La Grange, Tennessee, October 21, 1863.

Colonel FRANK A. KENDRICK,

West Tennessee Infantry, A. D., Comdg. Moscow, Tennessee:

COLONEL: A serious complaint from citizens living in your vicinity and the vicinity of La Fayette is referred to these headquarters by General Hurlbut in reference to midnight robberies and General Hurlbut in reference to midnight robberies and raids by your men, who in several cases have deliberately fired upon peaceable citizens in their own houses, and committed thefts and outrages that are a disgrace to the service. Some one is severely to blame in this matter, and you will use every exertion to ascertain who the guilty and responsible parties are, and see that acts of this kind do not occur again. There must be gross carelessness and neglect on the part of some of your officers, and such should be hunted out and means taken to have them dismissed the service, as they are an injury to it and a disgrace to your command. Officers will be held responsible for the conduct of their men, and you will thoroughly investigate the matter, and report to these headquarters all the facts connected with these complaints.

By order of Brigadier General T. W. Sweeny:

L. H. EVERTS,

Captain, and Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. LEFT WING, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Corinth, Miss., October 21, 1863.

Captain T. H. HARRIS,

Asst. Adj. General, 16th Army Corps, Memphis, Tennessee:

CAPTAIN: I have sent General Sweeny Written instructions in relation to movements of troops, &c., in time of attack. I shall endeavor to catch them before they reach the railroad. I have considerable reliable information in relation to the orders of Johnston the first of this month. It seems that about the 6th of October he ordered Loring, Lee, Chalmers, Ferguson, Gholson, and Ruggles to concentrate at New Albany, for the purpose of breaking up this railroad, and they claim that their available force to do it would be 25,000 men. And it also appears that Johnston was not then aware of Sherman's movement. As soon as he ascertained this fact, an entire change was made. Loring, Lee, Ferguson, &c., went to Bragg and the Tennessee Valley, Chalmers was allowed to make the attempt alone, by scraping up what men he could. Where Johnston is now I do not know, but I believe Chalmers took all the available force that is in Northern Mississippi with him in his late attack.

The leaders all seem to think that Davis has cast his all on a fight between Chattanooga and Atlanta, and they say that Lee and Davis will be at the fight. They do not believe that Sherman is going to Rosecrans, but think he is going toward Montgomery and Atlanta. The disposition of their forces show this, and they openly say so. There are no troops at Montgomery, Selma, Tuscaloosa, Elyton, or Jasper except provost guards. At Elyton, above and below, are large iron mills, which they are working to get out railroad iron to finish the Selma road to Rome. They are also building a branch railroad from Line Station, near Columbiana, on Selma and Rome railroad, to Elyton. A large force is at work on it, and they say they will finish it by Christmas. This road is being built for the