as well as of our lines of supply through that State, mainly to your troops. This willdemand of you much activity and vigilance. You will have no reason to apprehend an invasion of Eastern Kentucky by the enemy in force until after the coming campaigns in Virginia and Georgia are decided. If they prove succesfull, all such danger will have passed, it is to be hoped, forever. If these campaigns fail, we will have to meet the consequences as best we may. Even in this improbable event it will not, I believe, be difficult to defend Kentucky from any serious invasion from the east. For the present you will have to guard against raids of cavalry from both east and south, the latter more especially, and protect the railroads and depots of supplies. You can at the same time render important assistance in protecting the flank of this army by acting on the aggressive as far as possible into West Virginia. Your force in the region of the Big Sandy should be as large as practicable, considering the force at your disposal and the difficulty of obtaining supplies in that region. Let your troopos in Eastern Kentucky push through the mountain gaps into Virginia, and strike the enemy whenever opportunity offers. Especially if the enemy move down the Holston Valley, your troops can do good service by pushing through Pound Gap and attacking, or even threatening, his flank. The commanding officer on the Big Sandy must keep well informed of the enemy's strength and movements, and act promptly and vigorously as circumstances may require. I shall leave Knoxville and Cumberland Gap perfectly secure against any probable attack. The railroad above Bull's Gap is destroyed, so as to make any movement of the enemy in force in this direction impossible for a long time. But it will be impracticable to keep any considerable force of cavalry in East Tennessee during the summer; hence your cavalry will have to be relied upon to prevent raids into Kentucky. With these general suggestions I leave the details to your disrecectfully, your obedient servant,

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major-General.

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SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, No. 119.
April 28, 1864.

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2. The Fifth Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, if ready to march, will march April 29 in rear of the Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, and report to Brigadier-General Judah, commanding Second Division, until the arrival of Brigadier-General Cox, commanding Third Division, Twenty-third Army Corps.

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11. Wilder (Indiana) Battery, Captain H. T. Thomas commanding will move by the first empty train from Charleston, Tenn., to Knoxville, Tenn., and on arriving at the latter place will report to Brigadier General Jacob Ammen, commanding Fourth Division, Twenty-third Army Corps.

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By command of Major-General Schofield:

R. MORROW,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[32.]