RICHMOND, VA., October 19, 1862.

His Excellency, Governor SHORTER,

Montgomery, Ala.:

Your telegram has been received. We are fully aware of General Forney's position, and we are doing what we can to relieve him. General Pemberton has been ordered to send the regiment back from Columbus, unless the enemy are advancing upon it. General Leadbetter has been assigned to duty at Mobile as chief engineer. Colonel Alfred Cumming, of Georgia, an experienced soldier, has been made a brigadier-general and ordered to Mobile.

G. W. RANDOLPH,

[15.] Secretary of War.

RICHMOND, October 19, 1862.

Brigadier General J. H. FORNEY, Mobile, Ala.:

The President, by virtue of the amended conscript act, has extended the conscript age to forty. You will thefore immediately enroll all the men in your command from thirty-five to forty years of age and retain them. The judge will probably change his views when he is informed that a call has been made under the act. If the men have been discharged you will enroll such of them as are under forty. The President has also suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Mobile and for ten miles around it. The order will be immediately pusblished and may be acted on. General D. Leadbetter has been ordered to report at Mobile as chief engineer, and will retain the command. General J. C. Pemberton has been ordered to send the regiment back from Columbus, unless the enemy are threatening seriously that place. Do you want arms? An additional brigadier-general will be immediately sent to you.

S. COOPER,

[15.] Adjutant and Inspector General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Holly Springs, Miss., October 19, 1862.

General PRICE:

The major-general commanding directs that you once prepare 2,500 men of your army corps with three days' cooked rations, to take the cars at the most convenient point to their encampment, the point or points to be indicated to the chief quatermaster, in order that he may give directions to the cars. These troops will take all their baggage, tents, &c., with them. They will [be] selected from those least fit for field service, the exchanged prisoners, &c. The lieutenant-general commanding department has ordered the above; and also wishes me to say to you the organization of the cavalry remains as it is until he arrivers to take command in person.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

M. M. KIMMEL,

[17.] Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 247.
Richmond, October 22, 1862.

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II. The battalion of Alabama Volunteers under the command of Captain A. S. Van. De Graaff, heretofore known in this office as the