LOUISVILLE, December 21, 1863.

Major General U. S. GRANT:

I ordered the Third Kentucky Cavalry and Thirteenth Kentucky Cavalry to report to General W. S. Smith at Nashville, as your ordered. I ought to state that the Thirteenth Kentucky Cavalry is a twelve-month's regiment raised under recent act of Congress to raise 20,000 troops in Kentucky to serve in the State, unless the President orders them out, as will be seen in General Orders, Numbers 40, Adjutant-General's Office, current series.

J. T. BOYLE,

Brigadier-General.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, December 21, 1863.

Lieutenant BELDEN,

Collierville, Tennessee:

Order the effective force of the Sixth Illinois to move to Collierville this afternoon. Start the whole brigade to La Grange early on Tuesday morning with ten days' rations and 100 rounds of ammunition per man, to be carried in ambulances and light wagons.

S. L. WOODWARD,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

LA GRANGE, Tennessee,

December 21, 1863.

Major-General HURLBUT:

My information from the south is that Chalmers is in camp 8 miles east of Holly Springs, with the force that came up a few weeks ago, and that they have been expecting to move every day for a week. I think I have prepared them to think we are about moving down there with a heavy force; still, they may not believe it, and possibly may make a demonstration. I will watch them the best I can.

J. M. TUTTLE,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Natchez, Miss., December 21, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel W. T. CLARK,

Asst. adjt. General, Seventeenth Army Corps:

COLONEL: I will start to-day at 2 o'clock with Twenty-ninth and Thirty-second Illinois and Twelfth Wisconsin, four pieces of artillery, and 200 cavalry for Fayette. I understand Wirt Adams is in the neighborhood of Fayette, and I will attack him to-morrow morning if he stands. I hear he is waiting for an opportunity to move down to Rodney and fire into transports. I leave Colonel Johnson here with 500 white troops and the colored regiments. Will get back in the shortest possible time.

30 R R-VOL XXXI, PT III