HEADQUARTERS FORREST'S CAVALRY, Okolona, November 25, 1863.

Colonel B. S. EWELL,
Assistant Adjutant-General:

COLONEL: I send you herewith some newspapers. I hope to leave here to-morrow morning. Will do so if I can get horses to pull my artillery. General Lee has promised me 40 horses, and I hope they will get here to-day. Only 150 men of Colonel Forrest's regiment have reported, and a number of them are without arms, and so far I have been unable to get arms for them. I had hoped to get arms for all I had here, and to have carried guns with me for troops now in West Tennessee, as it would be rash to go into West Tennessee with only a few hundred men and they poorly armed.

Requisitions have been made, and I trust the arms will be sent forward. Nothing new in front.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. B. FORREST,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS PAROLED AND EXCHANGED PRISONERS, Enterprise, November 25, 1863.

Colonel B. S. EWELL,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Meridian:

COLONEL: I desire to bring to the attention of the general commanding the department the fact that there are no cavalry at the disposal of these headquarters, either to arrest paroled men absent from their commands without leave and bring them into camp, or to prevent the escape of deserters who have once reported. Such a force is indispensable to the efficiency and success of this command, and I have respectfully to ask the general commanding to place a regiment at my disposal for that purpose. It may be distributed in detachments over the State of Mississippi and so much of Louisiana as lies on this side of the Mississippi River, so as to enable me to gather up the paroled officers and men rapidly, and bring them without delay into the field. I regret to say that a large number of General Baldwin's men-certainly more than 100-left his command on the night previous to his departure for Atlanta. Having no adequate cavalry force to arrest these men, they are at large.

I remain, colonel, respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. POLK,

Lieutenant-General.

RICHMOND, November 26, 1863.

Lieutenant Gen. L. POLK,

Enterprise, Miss.:

Apply for arms to the depot at Demopolis; if not there they will be forwarded. Report number required.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.