Cavalry, Stokes' Tennessee Cavalry, Colonel Wolford commanding cavalry battalion. Captain Stone commissary.

Inform Colonel Miller, but keep the organization secret as far as practicable. Instructions will follow.

JAMES B. FRY.

HEADQUARTERS,
Decherd, August 27, 1862.

Colonel MILLER, Nashville:

You have been assigned to the command of a light brigade. Concentrate it as soon as possible at Murfreesborough and make that point your main rendezvous. The Nineteenth Illinois should reach Nashville by cars to-morrow. Take it and the Eleventh Michigan, Stoke's cavalry, and McCook's cavalry, if it has not left, and march to Murfreesborough. The other cavalry and the artillery will be there by the time you arrive.

You are expected to operate actively in covering our lines out from Nashville, and particularly against the cavalry force of the enemy under Forrest and Morgan.

You should watch especially the region along line through Carthage, Lebanon, and Woodbury, Liberty, and Smithville, but the movements of the enemy's active corps might render it necessary for you to go west of the Chattanooga Railroad.

Do not go north of the Cumberland River at present, but report if you see any necessity for doing so. Stoker's Tennessee regiment is sent with you, that you may have the benefit of its members as guides as well as soldiers. You must employ every means to keep yourself fully informed, and use money as freely as necessary for the purpose.

It is expected that you will move your infantry in wagons whenever the nature of the country will permit, and your brigade will therefore have 50 wagons for this purpose, but few other wagons will be necessary. The animals must forage on the country, and no baggage except a blanket be carried by the men and officers. The entire command must subsist as far as possible on the country, and should carry in haversacks as many rations as they can get from time to time, keeping, if possible, three days' on hand. You must carry salt and have butchers with the command, so that you may at any time secure fresh meat. Avoid as far as possible taking any wagons in addition to those required for the infantry, but if it is necessary to carry rations for an expedition a wagon for each regiment may become necessary to carry them and a few cooking utensils. The baggage and baggage trains of your brigade should be at Murfreesborough, with a guard composed of such men as are least fit to accompany the command. You should never start with less than 40 rounds of ammunition. Take a telegraph operator with you, and communicate in cipher by telegraph from intermediate points in case you have anything of importance and cannot reach a regular station.

It will be necessary for you to leave a detachment of cavalry-two or three companies-at all times at Murfreesborough for duty at that post.

With activity, vigilance, and determination your brigade can render the most useful service, and it is hoped may soon succeed in either destroying or driving off the cavalry under Morgan and Forrest. You must give some special attention to the safety of your artillery and never expose it to loss.