upon the west side of Big Black River thirty mounted men, under a captain and one lieutenant, to meet and co-operative with a similar force from your command in this work of common humanity. Of course, all offenders captured will be turned over to the respective parties to which they belong. Confederate soldiers and citizens to be sent to my headquarters; soldiers or citizens of the United States to yours. Those who come into my hands, I can assure you, will be summarily punished. Not more than a week, I presume, would be required to accomplish the work thoroughly, and during its execution, I would suggest that probably a suspension of military movement on both sides would be best. I frankly make this proposition believing, general, that equally with myself you desire, so far as you have the power, to mitigate the sufferings incident to war. Should you deem a personal interview between officers selected from our respective commands more likely to lead to a satisfactory arrangement, I am, of course, perfectly willing.

Hoping to hear from you at an early date in reply, I remain, general, very respectfully,

W. F. TUCKER,

Brigadier General, Commanding Dist. of Southern Miss. and East La.

KNOXVILLE, April 19, 1865.

Major General GEORGE H. THOMAS:

General Stanley will send his transportation to this place to be loaded on the trains. The troops will bet on the cars at Rogersville Junction. Have cars to send off one brigade of the First Division to-day with the officers' horses and one wagon. The other brigades and transportation will follow in the order directed as cars are furnished for the purpose. I recommend that the store-houses already commenced, and for which the lumber is out, completed; they can be put up at small expense, and will be needed if a garrison is to be left at this place.

A. J. MACKAY,

Chief Quartermaster.

JONESBOROUGH, April 19, 1865-9.10 p. m.

Major-General THOMAS:

I have the honor to report my arrival in person at this point, having left Lenoir, on the other side of the mountains, day before yesterday morning. I left Palmer's brigade, with headquarters at Lincolton, with directions to scout down the Catawba River toward Charlotte; Brown's brigade, with headquarters at Morganton, with directions to connect with Palmer down the Catawba River; Miller's brigade, with General Gillem, comes to Asheville, with directions to open up communications thorough to Greenville. Tillson I have directed to assemble his division at Greenville, with instructions to send the Second North Carolina, Colonel Barlett, into the mountains south of Asheville, and the Third North Carolina, Colonel Kirk, into the mountains north of Asheville, and also to have the Fourth Tennessee here in case General Beatty is withdrawn. The object in leaving the cavalry on the other side of the mountains was twofold, viz, to obtain forage and to intercept and disperse any bands going south, and to capture trains, &c. The object in sending the North Carolina regiments into the mountains is to prevent any bands from congregating in the mountain fastness and becoming troublesome. The condition of things in Western Virginia