HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE OHIO,
Huntsville, July 4, 1862.

General WILLIAM S. SMITH,

Commanding Third Division:

General Buell directs that you have one engine put across the river at Decatur (from this side to the other). The engine should of course be put on the track on the other side. The general also desires to know whether the engine lying at Tuscumbia can be repaired; if so, at what cost, time, and labor.

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

JAMES B. FRY,

Colonel and Chief of Staff.

WASHINGTON CITY, July 4, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK,

Corinth, Miss.:

You do not know how much you would oblige us if, without abandoning any of your positions or plans, you could promptly send us even 10,000 infantry. Can you not? Some part of the Corinth army is certainly fighting McClellan in front of Richmond. Prisoners are in our hands from the late Corinth army.

A. LINCOLN.

CORINTH, July 5, 1862.

The PRESIDENT,

Washington:

For the last week there has been great uneasiness among Union men in Tennessee on account of the secret organizations of insurgents to co-operate in any attack of the enemy on our lines. Every commanding officer from Nashville to Memphis has asked for re-enforcement. Under these circumstances I submitted the question of sending troops to Richmond to the principal officers of my command. They are unanimous in opinion that if this army is seriously diminished the Chattanooga expedition must be revoked or the hope of holding Southwest Tennessee abandoned. I must earnestly protest against surrendering what has cost us so much blood and treasure, and which in a military point of view is worth more than Richmond. It will be infinitely better to withdraw troops from the Shenandoah Valley, which at this time has no strategic importance. I am doing everything in my power to strengthen our position, and a week or two may change the aspect of affairs here.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

COLUMBIA, July 5, 1862.

Colonel J. B. FRY:

Both your dispatches just received. At Shellbyville one section of Hewett's battery and one section Captain Standart's Ohio battery. The other two sections Standart's battery are here at Columbia getting refitted. The artillery at Shelbyville has been put in perfect order. Major Wynkoop's battalion of cavalry has been supplied with carbines