battle will take place to-morrow. The result will probably be known in new York Before Colonel Babcock, the bearer of this, leaves New York. Colonel Babcock will give you information of all operations now in progress.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

CONFIDENTIAL.] DECEMBER 6, 1864.

Bvt. Brigadier General S. VAN VLIET,

Quartermaster, New York:

GENERAL: General Sherman appears to be approaching the Atlantic coast, and it is determined to send supplies to meet him at Port Royal, or rather to await there until he establishes his base of supplies. In the letter of this office date November 3 last an estimate of supplies was sent to you for a force of 30,000 men. It is believed that the force with General Sherman will reach 60,000 men, of which 10,000 will be cavalry, and that he will have with him from sixty to eighty pieces of artillery, and about 30,000 horses and mules. The supplies ordered on 3rd of November were divided, one-half to Pensacola, one-half to Port Royal. Colonel S. L. Brown, chief of the forage division, has been ordered to send daily to Port Royal forage for 30,000 animals. I notice that in the letter of 3rd of November last no blankets were ordered. I presume, however, that under the general order to send clothing to refit 30,000 men, General Vinton turned over to you a proper proportion of blankets. You will call upon General Vinton for the following clothing and equiPAGE, which you will send to Port Royal as soon as possible, there to await news from General Sherman, which will determined the ultimate destination of the supplies. They will be subject to the orders of General Foster, through the chief quartermaster of the Department of the South, Major C. W. Thomas:

Clothing. - 30,000 sack coats; 30,000 trousers; 60,000 shirts; 60,000 pairs drawers; 60,000 pairs socks; 100,000 pairs shoes and boots; 20,000 forage caps; 10,000 greatcoats; 20,000 blankets, unless this number has already been shipped; 10,000 waterproof blankets.

EquiPAGE. - 10,000 shelter-tents; 100 hospital tents; 10,000 knapsacks; 20,000 haversacks; 10,000 canteens; 2,000 camp kettles; 5,000 mess pans; 5,000 felling axes, two handles each; 1,000 hatchets, handled; 2,000 spades; 2,000 picks.

You will also send the following quartermaster's stores:

Transportation. - Wheel harness for 400 mules; lead harness for 800 mules; 10,000 pounds bar-iron, assorted; 5,000 pounds steel; 1,000 pounds harness leather, 40 sets shoeing tools and 40 extra hammers; thread, wax, needles, awls, &c., for repairing harness; 500 pounds wrought nails; 20 buttresses; 200 horse rasps; 100 large files, assorted; 50 shoeing knives, extra; 4,000 pounds manilla rope, assorted; 15,000 bushels smith's coal (this coal will be ordered from Washington); 200 extra wagon wheels; 50 extra ambulance wheels; 100,000 pounds horse and mules shoes; 10,000 pounds horse and mule shoe-nails.

All this should be done in such manner as to attract as little attention as possible, and it is desirable to give the enemy o clue to the preparations making for reception of General Sherman.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General, Brevet Major-General.