at Hudsonville scouting south of Coldwater. I have sent a battalion to Byhalia and a regiment to Olive Branch to scout to Hernando and Coldwater. Balance of Second Brigade will be in this afternoon. No force of the enemy this side of Coldwater. Will have more information this evening of their whereabouts.

B. H. GRIERSON,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Memphis, Tennessee, December 31, 1863.

Rear-Admiral DAVID D. PORTER,

Commanding Mississippi Squadron:

ADMIRAL: I have I think, sure information that light breechloading guns, about 2 1/2 pounds caliber, will be placed on the Mississippi soon. Two of them will be somewhere in the neighborhood of Austin. The shells to be used with these will be filled with Travis incendiary composition. Two horses will haul them, and they will be run from place as needed.

Your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
December 31, 1863.

General B. H. GRIERSON:

Just received the following from La Grange:

Scouts just in from Somerville report two regiments of Richardson's command cut off at La Fayette; that they are now near Somerville under command of Colonels Neely and Logwood; that the most of Forrest's train is also there. They have no cavalry of any consequence there with them.

J. M. TUTTLE,

Brigadier-General.

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.

Record of events on the returns of the division commanded by Brigadier General J. M. Tuttle, for the months of November and December, 1863.*

November 1 the division was stationed in the rear of Vicksburg, Miss.

November 7 marched to Vicksburg, Miss., and embarked on transports.

November 8 left Vicksburg en route for Memphis, where it arrived on the 12th. The First Brigade remained at Memphis, Tennessee;

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*Designation changed December 20 from Third Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, to First Division, Sixteenth Army Corps.

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