road to Elizabethtown or by mouth of Salt River, and aid in saving Munfordville and help us in the fight that must take place in a few days?

I can send a messenger to Louisville through Litchfield, Grayson County, perhaps in time, if you will say to General Gilbert that he ought to come. We shall have work enough for our whole army. I think if General Thomas too was with us we could entirely destroy the secesh army in Kentucky and retake without trouble all we abandoned for the sake of a victory over all their armies in the West.

The wires are cut between this and Louisville. If Gilbert would move and bivouac, getting meat, bread, and coffee by railroad, we could so manage as to fall upon Polk and company nearly at the same time. We have not the number of rations, 1,200,000 as supposed and reported, but are nearly out. I am foraging for grain, &c., for the stock, and have ordered beef instead of bacon while in camp here, and will send train at daylight in the morning to Franklin for $17,000 worth of flour with guard of 300 men. Have ordered the seizure of 100 barrels of salt now here.

I have taken the necessary steps to carry out the orders of to-day relating to ammunition, rations, &c.

Please let me know at once whether I shall send a messenger to Louisville carrying you dispatches to General Gilbert.

I am just told by Colonel Bruce that the 1,200,000 rations are here except bread. We are out of bread, but can get flour, and are preparing to bake for the whole army.

I send an engine to convey this. You ought to be here. Pardon me, but you have to be here. My pickets report hearing them chopping trees toward Glasgow.

Very respectfully,

LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

CINCINNATI, OHIO, September 13, 1862.

The PRESIDENT:

Your dispatch of yesterday by some mistake was not laid before me. I see it now for the first time. I have no intention of abandoning Louisville or of leaving it without adequate protection. Two regiments only were withdrawn, and that at a time when Cincinnati was seriously threatened, leaving at Louisville about thirty regiments and more than thirty guns. I could send more than three times as many troops, in case of attack upon Louisville, as were withdrawn between the time the enemy's advance was detected and his appearance before the place. Louisville has not been threatened at all, while Kirby Smith's forces did approach to within 8 miles of Cincinnati. He is now retreating from before the force hastily collected.

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON, September 13, 1862.

Major-General WRIGHT:

Brigadier-General Sheridan has been reappointed, with his original date. Is General Crook with you?

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

33 R R-VOL XVI, PT II