He will report by letter to Brigadier General D. S. Stanley, chief of cavalry, and proceed at once to join his command, reporting its condition by telegraph from Bowling Green, and keeping these headquarters and General Stanley informed of his movements.

* * * * *

By command of Major-General Rosecrans:

C. GODDARD,

Major and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

[20.]

OXFORD, MISS., December 14, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Washington, D. C.:

DEAR GENERAL: I have just received a private letter from Mr. Washburne in which he speaks of a conversation that he had with you in which you said that anything I would recommend with reference to my staff you would aid me in. My individual labors have been harder probably than that of any other general officer in the Army, except probably yours and McClellan, with the exception of the time you was present with the army in the field. Much of this wad due to having an entire staff of inexperienced men in military matters.

I now have for chief of each the quartermaster's and commissary of subsistence departments men that are all I want. Also engineers, topographical engineers, and ordnance officers in whom I have great confidence.

Of my individual staff there are but two men who I regard as absolutely indispensable. One of them is Lieutenant-Colonel Rawlins, assistant adjutant-general, and Captain Bowers, aide-de-camp, and now recommended for the position of judge-advocate with the rank of major. Colonel Rawlins I regard as the ablest and most reliable man in his department of the volunteer service, and with but few equals in the first a private soldier and clerk in the office. On his promotion I made him aide-de-camp, and he has continued in reality an acting assistant adjutant-general. He is capable, attentive, and indispensable to me. Colonel Hillyer is very efficient as provost-marshal-general, and relieves me from much duty that I have heretofore had to attend to in person. Colonel Lagow I am very much attached to personally, and can indorse him as a true, honest man, willing to do all in his power for the service. My regular aides are all persons with whom I had previous acquaintance, and were appointed by me for what I believed was their merit as men. They give entire satisfaction. Hillyer and Lagow were my regular aides, but by promotion are additional aides. Lagow fills the position of inspector-general, and appointment I have not made, or recommended any one for, and Hillyer is provost-marshal-general.

I learn that there will probably be an effort made to defeat the confirmation of all the recent promotions. There are many of them I have no interest in, but in the case of McPherson I am deeply interested. He is now second in command with the army in the field, and should his name be brought up and be rejected I would feel the loss more than taking a division from me. He is worth more than a division of men in his present position, particularly as his successor to the command of a wing would be such a person as would leave me to look after that command direct, in addition to my duties with the whole. I am now better situated with regard to wing and division commanders