and establishing road guards with suitable stockades worries me exceedingly.

D. C. BUELL.

HEADQUARTERS,
Huntsville, July 29, 1862.

General THOMAS, Athens:

Continue your march by the most direct practicable route to Decherd. Take six days' rations. Make the march in four days. Buy your forage on the road. Take your division train with you and fill it with forage as you go. Your route should take you about 10 miles north of this place.

(This dispatch will be delivered punctually on the arrival of General Thomas at Athens.)

D. C. BUELL.

BATTLE CREEK, July 29, 1862.

Colonel J. B. FRY:

I have news from Chattanooga at 12 o'clock yesterday. Night before last three days' rations were cooked. They are repairing the Anderson road and I think crossing; will know positively about 3 p.m. this evening. If you can, for God's sake, send me all the shoes to spare and at once.

McCOOK,

General.

TUSCUMBIA, July 29, 1862.

Colonel J. B. FRY:

Please inform General Buell that General Hardee, with the advance of Bragg's army, arrived at Moulton at noon Sunday last; one regiment and two batteries had come in at that time.

General F. C. Armstrong, with a brigade of cavalry, has been there some days, and it was him who captured your force at Courtland.

Some of my command had a skirmish with with Forrest's cavalry, and a sergeant taken prisoner and paroled at Moulton brought a message from Armstrong, who is well known, having formerly been in my regiment. We are extremely anxious about our lines.

J. K. MIZNER,

Colonel, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS,
Huntsville, July 29, 1862.

Captain C. C. Gilbert,

Acting Inspector-General:

In the construction of the military works with which you are charged you are authorized, whenever and whenever it may be necessary, to call upon the inhabitants of the country in the vicinity of the works to furnish for the time as many laborers (negroes) as may be necessary for the purpose, and to send with them such tools as they may have and as