GUNTERSVILLE, May 21, 1865.

Major SOUTHARD HOFFMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I have just received your dispatch, and am about leaving for Huntersville to make arrangements for crossing my command to subsist and forage it on the march to Knoxville and Nashville. I shall reach Huntsville this eve. Please telegraph me there whether the general commanding desires that I should accompany the other regiments of this brigade to Knoxville, or go with the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, to which myself and staff all belong, to Nashville. Will you please direct four days' forage for 1,200 animals to be shipped to Bridgeport immediately, if it is no already there, to meet the Twelfth Ohio and Tenth Michigan Cavalry. I take it for granted that there is subsistence enough already there for them. I have sent orders to General Brown and Colonel Miller how to march to reach Knoxville. I have received enough forage at Guntersville for my purpose, but have no subsistence. Will you please have 6,000 rations ordered to Guntersville immediately for the Fifteenth Pennsylvania and Tenth Michigan Cavalry, and give orders for the boat that brings them to receive and cross these regiments to north side of Tennessee River.

WM. J. PALMER,

Brevet Brigadier-General.

HUNTSVILLE, May 21, 1865.

Major S. HOFFMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I received your dispatch at Guntersville this morning, and have come here to make the arrangements for shipping forage and subsistence to proper points to meet my command on its march to Nashville and Knoxville. There are no ferry boats on the Tennessee River capable of crossing horses. Will you please direct the Stone River gun-boat, now at Decatur, to take 6,000 rations of subsistence and 3,000 rations of forage to Guntersville, and to wait there for the purpose of crossing the Fifteenth Pennsylvania and Tenth Michigan to north side of the river. Does the general commanding desire that I should go with my headquarters to Knoxville or Nashville? All of my staff belong to the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Respectfully,

WILLIAM J. PALMER,

Brevet Brigadier-General, Commanding.

NASHVILLE, May 21, 1865.

COMMANDER OF GUN-BOAT STONE RIVER,

Decatur:

Take 6,000 rations of subsistence and 3,000 rations of forage to Guntersville, and wait there for the purpose of crossing the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry and Tenth Michigan Cavalry to north side of Tennessee River.

WM. D. WHIPPLE,

Brigadier-General.