I deem it a matter of the utmost moment that we hold our position at Battle Creek.

The bridge across Mud Creek is just finished and we are just commencing the bridge at Stevenson across Crow Creek. If we are driven out of Stevenson all this work must be done over.

I have no troops at any point that can be spared to re-enforce Colonel Sill. Cannot you possibly send at once a brigade forward to Decatur and I will send them by rail to Stevenson?

O. M. MITCHELL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS,
Huntsville, June 21, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON:

I am with difficulty maintaining my position before Chattanooga. My main force is at Jasper. We thus hold the mountain region bordering on the Tennessee and upon the railroad. I hope to be able to maintain my position until re-enforcements arrive. I respectfully solicit more active duty. has my son been nominated brigade quartermaster? I greatly need his services.

O. M. MITCHELL,

Major-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., June 21, 1862.

Major General O. M. MITCHELL, Huntsville, Ala:

I would gladly send you re-enforcements if we had them to spare, but the protracted operations before Richmond require, in the President's opinion, that our disposable forces should go to General McClellan. It would also gratify me very much to have your eminent military genius employed actively in the East, but the President regards the advance on East Tennessee as only second in importance to Richmond, and that you cannot safety withdraw from that field, so that at present the Department cannot gratify your wishes. Your son has been nominated, confirmed, and the commission has been forwarded to your care.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH DIVISION,
June 21, 1862.

Colonel J. B. FRY:

COLONEL: Your telegram of the 17th instant has just been received. On the 18th instant I telegraphed you fully from the mouth of Baptist Gap, Tenn, 10 miles west of here, and Rogers'Gap is 20 west of this gap, the intersection of the Powell's Valley and Knoxville roads being 45 miles from Knoxville.

In a few days I will have the honor to forward to General Buell through you a written report of my operations, accompanies with an accurate map.

GEORGE W. MORGAN,

Brigadier-General.