HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION ARMY OF THE OHIO,
McMinnville, Tenn., August 31, 1862.

General SMITH, Decherd:

Order for concentrating was received early this morning, but I could not decipher it before this afternoon. Have it nw.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers.

HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, ARMY OF THE OHIO,
McMinnville, Tenn., August 31, 1862.

General BUELL, Tullahoma:

Succeeded in deciphering the order for concentrating. It was a hard problem. Whoever put it up must have been asleep,as no particular route was followed and a great many words omitted.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Major-General, U. S. Volunteers.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,
Cincinnati, Ohio, August 31, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK, Washington, D. C.:

Nelson has been badly beaten, I fear, in an encounter with the enemy near Richmond, Ky.; his force being, as he says, hopelessly broken and scattered. He is in Lexington, Ky., wounded, and I leave for that place in a couple of hours to see what can be done. He gives me no particulars. My orders were to make the Kentucky river the line of defense, and his orders in pursuance seem to have been disregarded. At any rate his force has been routed.

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

CINCINNATI, OHIO, August 31, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK:

I presume that you received General Wright's telegrams, sent this morning before he left for Lexington. I understand there are about 1,000 convalescents at Bowling Green and half as many at Louisville. Can Lieutenant Edson, ordnance officer at Louisville, issue them arms? They can be used as guards; wanted on the Nashville road.

N. H. McLEAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, August 31, 1862.

General BOYLE, Louisville, Ky.:

What force and what the numbers of it which General Nelson had in the engagement near Richmond yesterday?

A. LINCOLN.