highly dissatisfied. Most of them, in his opinion, will, if possible, evade further service in the rebel ranks. Many of them are at their homes, where they purpose to remain for the winter. The officers say they have received orders to cross the Arkansas River and rejoin Price on Red River, Ark.

Report of Captain A. O. Marsh, Memphis, Tenn., December 6, 1864:

On the 19th of November General Sherman was near Greensborough, Ga., on railroad connecting Atlanta and Augusta, Ga. November 20, eighty-five ar-loads of Georgia militia were ordered to Savannah, Ga. General Hardee also started for same destination with his staff, to assume command. At Mobile are three brigades of Confederate troops, in the aggregate 5,000 men, General Maury in command. General Forrest is operating in conjunction with Hood and commands Wheeler's cavalry corps, about 12,000 men. At Corinth, Miss., are 6,000 soldiers, including the sick and wounded of Hood's army. General Wirt Adams is in command at Holly Springs, Miss. Colonel Denis commands the Reserve Corps, numbering 1,500 men.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRANK W. MARSTON,

Major, Signal Corps, U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST FLORIDA,
Barrancas, December 13, 1864.

[Colonel GEORGE D. ROBINSON:]

COLONEL: Lieutenant-Colonel Spurling, Second Maine Cavalry, has been instructed to report to you with all the available cavalry at this post for duty. You will immediately proceed with the cavalry and the Eighty-second, Eighty-sixth, and Ninety-seventh Regiments U. S. Colored Infantry, of your brigade (which you were this morning instructed to hold in readiness), upon the expedition in accordance with your instructions from the major-general commanding District of West Florida and South Alabama.

By command of Brigadier-General McKean:

G. G. BENNETT,

Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. CAV. FORCES, MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI,
West Pascagoula, Miss., December 13, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Mil. Div. of West Mississippi:

COLONEL: I had not time, owing to the labor of landing stores, to write more than a hurried report to you last night, but the proposed plan is to transfer the troops to East Pascagoula, and hold a short line of three miles from the Escatawba River to the Gulf. This can be easily done by this force against any force likely to be sent from Mobile by throwing up a redoubt on each road and placing our batteries in them. I have one regiment, the One hundred and eighteenth Illinois, which can be used as infantry, being armed with muskets and bayonets. By concerted operations between the cavalry at Barrancas and that at East Pascagoula the railroad above Mobile can be constantly threatened and attacked.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. W. DAVIDSON,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Cavalry.