town is filthy beyond description. I have got soldiers and contrabands at work cleaning up. I have posted a company on each of the main roads leading into town,a nd am throwing up breast-works for their protection. The place is very defensible, and I think we can hold it against any force that will be likely to attack it. It is commanded, however by mountains about it, and artillery might after awhile do us much damage. The cavalry all left yesterday. There is a small company of home guards that are worth but little, and about 70 or 80 men in hospital. Supplies are needed for them immediately. We ought to draw our rations in bulk and have a post commissary. I shall want a small supply for contrabands that I have set to work and for some families that I find literally starving. How are we to get rations? Having had no instructions on the subject, I sent a small train to Murfreesborough this morning. We shall be out before they get back.

Your obedient servant,

H. C. GILBERT,

Colonel, Commanding.

OCTOBER 28, 1863.

General G. M. DODGE, Corinth:

I will probably go to-morrow leaving Fuller here,a nd the divisions at Cherokee and Dickson's will move down to Chickasaw and cross there. Captain Phelps has gone down the Tennessee to hurry up the boats that should have been up some days since.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

IUKA, October 28, 1863.

J. B. BINGHAM, Memphis:

Bulletin can publish articles of editorial,or when contributed, signed by the writer, favorable or unfavorable to the general policy of the Government, if in proper spirit and designed to do good. Also questions calculated to interest the people of West Tennessee and Arkansas may be discussed pretty freely, but the

paper must be held responsible for the truth of every statement of facts, and that the article is calculated to do good and not excite resentment. Try and stop this universal spirit of fault-finding and personality that has brought the press down beneath the contempt of every decent man. Encourage business advertisements, improvements in the arts, narrations of events abroad in the past or, when well authenticated, of the present. In other words, let the Government and its agents do their business in their own way.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS PIONEER BRIGADE,
Shellmound, October 29, 1863-3.15 p.m.

Major General J. J. REYNOLDS,

Chief of Staff:

General Cruft was apprised by me of the bridge being constructed while on his march. I have communicated with General Hooker,