Three companies Indiana cavalry will meet to-night. Your telegrams respecting Bowling Green not correct. Two telegrams from there to-day say nothing of the enemy. His only force of which I am certainly advised is between Richmond and Cumberland Gap.

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,
Louisville, Ky., August 24, 1862.

Major-General NELSON, Lexington:

Operator at Stanford telegraphs that operator from Mount Vernon just arrived there says Colonel Metcalfe's regiment was cut to pieces at Big Hill on yesterday. General Smith has fallen back to Lancaster. This information not fully credited, as it is likely it would have been received at Lexington.

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

LEXINGTON, KY., August 24, 1862.

Major-General WRIGHT:

Mr.

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, a reliable gentleman, well known to me, has just arrived from above Barboursville, and makes the following statements:

The rebels say they have 18,000 infantry on this side; in the immediate vicinity of Cumberland Gap 500 cavalry. I do not believe it. They have fifteen regiments of infantry and 500 cavalry in Knox County; this is certain. They may have more force than this. The rebels say they have 50,000 men on the south side of Cumberland Gap. Colonel Scott had 1,200 cavalry at London, Ky., and two small pieces of artillery. It is supposed these last are the men who attacked Colonel Metcalfe. The rebels brought no tents into Kentucky with them and very few wagons. On last Wednesday the rebels took one empty and one loaded train on the head of Stinking and other creeks, including about 105 mules. It is certain that all of Colonel Houk's Third Tennessee Regiment who were at London escaped. One hundred and forty of them reached Cumberland Gap last Friday. Two companies of Colonel Garrard's regiment (Third Kentucky) in ambush reported 400 rebel cavalry near Laurel Bridge last Monday. It is supposed those two companies dispersed into Whitley County because they could not get with Colonel Garrard's regiment.

The rebels took possession of Barboursville about 10 o'clock last Monday. The rebels say they intend to starve our men at the Gap into a capitulation. The rebels came into Kentucky at Wilson's and Big Creek Gap. A portion of the 500 cavalry are the same that were with Zollicoffer.

W. NELSON,

Major-General, Commanding.

LEXINGTON, KY., August 24, 1862.

Major-General WRIGHT:

The enemy, estimated variously from 1,500 to 8,000, are at or near Richmond. Our troops, composed of eight regiments of infantry, are