perplexing, owing to the utter rawness of the troops and their deficiency i supplies, transportation, &c. Most of the m have been overcome, and a column about 10,000 strong is somewhere in advance of Williamstown and four more regiments leave Covington to-day; as many more, recently arrived, will move in a day or two, as soon as their wants can be supplied; and four regiments of old troops drawn from the Western Virginia force will be started about the same time. Part of them have just reached here.

The force under the command of Major General G. Granger is instructed to co-operate with your army, and if desirable to form a junction with it and to open as soon as possible communications with you and the detachments of your command at or in vicinity of Frankfort.

Cynthiana and Paris ought to be in possession of our cavalry force this morning, and it will be pushed on to Lexington at once if the enemy is not too strong in that vicinity.

No intelligence from you or of your whereabouts has been received since your dispatch announcing the action at Perryville.

You must bear in mind that the force started from here is utterly raw, being composed mainly of regiments organized since those which were transferred to you at Louisville. Not much can therefore be expected from them.

I shall be glad to hear from you as often as you can send, in order that I may be apprised of your movements. Such information will enable me so to direct the force from here as to best operate in conjunction with your forces.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

CAMP NEAR CRAB ORCHARD,

Via Stanford, Ky., October 17, 1862 - 7.15 a. m.

Major-General HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

My advance camped at Rockcastle River last night and had some skirmishing with the enemy's rear guard. His main force probably reached London yesterday. We are pressing upon him this morning, and hope to gain some advantage.

D. C. BUELL,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE OHIO,
Camp near Mount Vernon, Ky., October 17, 1862.

(Received October 19.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

My advance has continued to follow up the retreat of the enemy, but the progress has been slow, owing more to the obstructions places in the road yesterday and to-day by felling tress than to the opposition, though more or less skirmishing has been kept up. The absence of forage has compelled me to keep back the greater part of the cavalry and artillery and depend mainly on infantry. It is possible that we may be able to strike the enemy's trains and rear guard coming in on the Richmond road, but not much more, and if he gets beyond London