WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, October 21, 1862.

Major-General WRIGHT, Cincinnati, Ohio:

What have you from the Kanawha? If the enemy has evacuated the valley a part of General Cox's forces may be available for other duty.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

CINCINNATI, OHIO, October 21, 1862 - 7 p. m.

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

There is nothing from the Kanawha to-day, the line being interrupted. Reports have been received for several days of the evacuation of the valley by the rebels, but there is nothing certain about it. If true I propose bringing General Morgan's force to Kentucky. It would be a judicious move as regards Tennessee and Kentucky troops. It is probable the rebel forces of Bragg, Smith, and Marshall are making their way as rapidly as possible out of Kentucky.

H. G. WRIGHT,

Major-General, Commanding.

WESTBOROUGH, October 22, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General, Commanding, &c.:

SIR: On the 10th instant I had the honor to address you in relation to an alleged order sending into Western Virginia the East Tennessee troops just from Cumberland Gap under General G. W. Morgan.

Since then I have received a letter form one of the field officers of that corps, a constituent of mine, upon the same subject. After giving a detailed account of their operations from early in August, he adds "The health of the men is excellent, and thought they are worried, they are in good spirits. The whole division is literally naked and barefooted and without equipage. We are ordered to Western Virginia, but men swear they will not go. Please have the order revoked and us ordered to Kentucky. General Wright want us to go there and we want to go. But we have been so long in the mountains that to send us to Virginia, where our army was frozen and starved out last winter, in our condition is an outrage. Such a dirty set as we are and ragged never was seen before since the Revolution. At least 50 of our men cam through without shoes. Please get the order to go to Western Virginia countermanded at onceJanuary

I beg again to call your attention to this matter. These men entered the service under very great difficulties, for the purpose primarily of defending their homes and families from rebel oppression and outrage. Our State, as you know, is now overrun by rebel arms, Military operations on a large scale will be be conducted there during the fall and winter. Obivious considerations require that these troops should be taken where they would have an efficiency that they could not have in a different field, and where they could render more efficient services than troops of equal general merit from any of the Northern States. But,