McMINNVILLE, August 12, 1862.

Major-General BUELL:

Morgan, from all I can gather, crossed the Cumberland at Carthage and went to Gallatin.

The last dispatch was to inform you that I had sent Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, Second Indiana Cavalry, with 200 men, to within 21 miles of Chattanooga, and that there was no enemy on the road. I send another party over the road this morning. Your order confines me to McMinnville. The enemy can operate from Sparta, and passing to my left ravage the whole country.

W. NELSON.

TUNNEL, SEVEN MILES NORTH OF ELK RIVER, August 12, 1862.

Major-General BUELL:

There are about 350 of the enemy's cavalry encamped about 1 mile north of the toll-gate, on the west side of turnpike, in a thick beech wood, about one-fourth of a mile from the turnpike and about 4 miles north of Elkton. This information is brought by two negroes that have just come in, and seems reliable. They say the cavalry assembled there about noon to-day, and their object is to capture a wagon train expected to pass from Huntsville.

ED. A. PARROTT.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, August 12, 1862.

Brigadier General J. D. MORGAN,
Tuscumbia:

The remainder of Davis' division until go to Iuka and relieve your posts at Cherokee and Buzzard Roost. You will concentrate at Tuscumbia what troops are there relieved and probably those from the east. Hold Twenty-seventh at that point until further orders. Exercise a vigilant care of steamboats on the river. Order the commander of the outposts at Florence to report you daily the names, commanders, and kind of boats that pass there, where they go, and where they stop, to the end that you may know what it would be in the power of the rebels to seize for getting over the river, and take effectual means to prevent such seizure by surprise, and to burn, sink, or get away the boats in such cases. No boats must be permitted to pass up the river which do not report to your post commanders nor to stop except at such points as we can control. Colonel Mizner will be ordered to assemble nearly all the cavalry force, providing only such patrols and messengers as may be needed at particular points, and will take possession of the mountains and country beyond on some central location from which he can command the valley beyond, seize the cotton, horses, and contrabands.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding.

21 R R-VOL XVI, PT II