CHATTANOOGA, October 24, 1863.

Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN,

Corinth, Miss.:

Drop everything east of Bear Creek and move with your entire force toward Stevenson until you receive further orders. The enemy are evidently moving a large force toward Cleveland, and may break through our lines and move on Nashville, in which event your troops are the only force at command that could beat them there. With your forces here before the enemy cross the Tennessee we could turn their position so as to force them back and save the possibility of a move northward this winter.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.

NOTE.-Sent in care of General Crook, Brownsborough, to be forwarded with all haste.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
Iuka, Miss., October 24, 1863.

Brigadier General JOHN A. RAWLINS,

Chief of Staff, &c.:

GENERAL: I have this moment received at the hands of Lieutenant Dunn, aide-de-camp, copies of your General Orders, Nos. 1 and 2, and your communication of October 19,* which shall have my immediate and undivided attention.

Two gunboats, under Lieutenant-Commander Phelps, arrived at Eastport, and that officer is now with me, and I will proceed at once to pass a divisions in front of Bear Creek, that have had several sharp encounters with the enemy's cavalry. I have ordered them, tomorrow, to drive them beyond Tuscumbia. The railroad is now in fine order from Memphis to Bear Creek, but the break in the road beyond is serious and repairs proceed too slow, but I hope to have the head of my column so advanced that it will influence your enemy in front of Chattanooga. I will persevere to reach the neighborhood of Athens, the point designated in General Halleck's orders. I see no reason for a large regiment at Paducah, and will order it up in boats to Eastport and Waterloo.

I will order General Smith, at Columbus, to take a force of cavalry or mounted infantry to sweep down from Columbus to Grand Junction, taking all the available horses in the country. It is useless to be too delicate on this score. Either the United States or guerrillas must have all the horses in that region, and we might as well act on that supposition. I will also instruct General A. J. Smith to instruct the officer in command to notify the Union people that they must now take sides and expel the guerrillas, else their country will be constantly liable to the destruction of pursuing parties of cavalry.

The Tennessee River is now available to us for supplies, and, if necessary, we could absolutely abandon the railroad, but as Corinth, La Grange, and other points have formed so effectual a barrier in the past, I would like General Grant to order in the case. If information from Chattanooga indicated any danger to your army I

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*See Series I, Vol. XXX, Part III, p.-.

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