hand and lose no time. Patrol the approaches from the south with your cavalry to a distance of 15 or 20 miles, and be vigilant against marauders who come to break up the track and cut the telegraph wire. There are about 60,000 rations at Iuka and also forage, and 1,000,000 rations and much forage at Eastport, from which you will supply yourself.

JAMES B. FRY,

Colonel and Chief of Staff.

IUKA, June 24, 1862.

Colonel J. B. FRY:

Special Orders, Numbers 85, and dispatch received.

Is it General Buell's intention to keep up Eastport as a depot or is it to be broken up as soon as the stores are removed?

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS, June 24, 1862.

General THOMAS,
Iuka:

I do not intend to use Eastport for a depot longer than is necessary to draw about fifteen days' supply of forage from it. If you should be detained on this line, which I should be very sorry for, it may be convenient for you to use it. I hope that the enemy's inaction, if not that, your vigilance, will make the road so safe that you will not have to remain on it more than a few days.

D. C. BUELL.

NASHVILLE, [June] 24, 1862.

Colonel FRY,

Chief of Staff, Florence, Ala.:

The Eleventh Michigan (Stoughton), Seventy-fourth Ohio (Moody), and Sixty-ninth Ohio (Campbell) are in this vicinity; Third Minnesota and Ninth Michigan at Murfreesborough. Either of these last would make a good provost guard. Neither of the others ought to be. Colonel Lester, Colonel Parhurst, or Colonel Miller I should recommend for provost-marshal. Lieutenant Tannatt waiting your reply to a dispatch he sent you some time since with Swift's certificate that he can't go into the field in a Southern climate. He has applied for a seven days' leave of absence to take his wife North, when he proposes to join you. The leave will not be granted here. Lieutenant Wharton is acting ordnance officer here. I detailed Wright to inspect the convalescent barracks at Louisville, but Major Granger declined to allow him to inspect, taking the order for any one to inspect as an insinuation that he and his doctors did not to their duty. He reports a large number ready for joining. They will be forwarded so as to meet you at Athens.

General Boyle writes me that he don't consider himself under the orders of General Buell. Is he or not?

For God's sake put a decent man in command of Nashville. Stanley Matthews is the best one to suit the people and the interests of the service, and he would not object.

OLIVER D. GREENE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.