wait to receive them. If you can only send me 1,000 short arms and sabers for cavalry they will be invaluable.

N. B. FORREST,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

CHIEF OF ORDNANCE:

Ask General Forrest by telegraph whether he wishes arms for infantry or cavalry and request him to send a requisition, and say that you will endeavor to have arms ready for his ordnance officer.

G. W. RANDOLPH.

RICHMOND, VA., October 21, 1862.

Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR:

It is impossible to furnish 1,000 cavalry arms, as called for by General Forrest.

Very respectfully,

J. GORGAS,

Colonel and Chief of Ordnance.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF KENTUCKY,
October 20, 1862 - 6 p. m.

Colonel JOSEPH WHEELER, Chief of Cavalry:

COLONEL: Your several dispatches during the last twenty-four hours to General Polk have been opened by General Smith. The general wishes me to express to you his appreciation of the thorough manner in which you have performed your important duties this retreat, and to say that he will take especial pleasure in bringing your services to the notice of the Department at Richmond. He wishes you to select some strong position on the Barboursville road where you can still hold the enemy in check until the stragglers can all come up. The are many of them still in the rear. Colonel Taylor's brigade is still 10 miles from here on the old State road; Colonel Wharton on the same road in his rear. Colonel Ashby has been ordered to scout the Raccoon Creek road for some distance back. Make your reports frequently to this point.

I am, very respectfully, &c.,

JNumbers PEGRAM,

Colonel, &c.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF KENTUCKY,
Flat Lick, Ky., October 20, 1862 - 8 a. m.

Brigadier General HENRY HETH, Commanding:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding directs med to say he has received a dispatch from Colonel Wheeler at Pitman's Cross-Roads, dated October 19, 1.30 p. m. Pitman's Cross-Roads is where the Crab Orchard road comes in. Colonel Wheeler states that the enemy's pickets were 1 mile this side of the point where the Wild Cat road debouches. They advance slowly, driving in the cavalry, with their infantry. Colonel Butler, with two regiments of cavalry, fell back from Mershon's Cross-Roads by the Manchester road. He will therefore assist in covering General Stevenson's rear. Colonel wheeler was obstructing the Crab Orchard road as he fell back, the enemy cutting away the obstructions