considerable re-enforcements from the other side may be thrown over to this. Major Levy has been made acquainted with my views on this subject and will explain them to you fully. Regarding the campaign in Georgia of paramount importance, I have ordered Major-General Forrest to proceed at once into Tennessee with his command for the purpose of breaking the lines of communication of General Sherman. A large portion of General Forrest's command had been previously ordered to Mobile, but Governor Clark, of Mississippi, has promised to use his best efforts to supply the place of this force with a portion of the militia of his State, who, I am satisfied, will prove more efficient in the trenched tan the dismounted cavalry. Even, however, if I am disappointed in procuring this militia force, I am decidedly of opinion that the operations of General Forrest's entire cavalry force on the line of Sherman's entire cavalry force on the line of Sherman's communications will be productive of more benefit than the detachment of a portion of it for the defense of Mobile. The former is of general, the latter of local, interest, and it is better to risk the fall of Mobile than the leave any reasonable efforts and means untried to defeat Sherman. For should he succeed in his Georgia campaign, and be able to detach a column from his army to co-operate with Canby in his attack on Mobile, the fall of that city would be inevitable. In assuming command of his department I find a large departmental staff on duty, the members of which have in almost all instances been assigned by orders from the War Department. I particularly desire that my senior adjutant-general, and my senior inspector-general should be the two officers who have served with me during my with your dispatch of the 12th of August. Major Levy will explain to you my views on the subject of the various officers of the quartermaster and commissary departmens and the independent relations existing between them and the resptive chiefs of their several departments in this command. Also as to the command of the District of the Gulf, the commanding officers of which reports sometimes to department headquarters and sometimes directly to the War Department at Richmond.

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

R. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-General.

[39.]

SEPTEMBER 6, 1864.

Adjutant-General SYKES:

SIR: I was ordered to scout between East Point and Jonesborough, without any definite object. My orders were simply that if I gained any information that I might deem of sufficient important to report it. I attempted this morning to go to the railroad above Rough and Ready. I traveled the public road to within two miles of Rough and Ready, there took a by-road, and when within a mile of the railroad, I came upon the Yankees, ostensibly foraging. I attempted to approach the railroad at several points, but found the Federals every time in too large squads for my little force of twelve men to compete with. I then turned in the direction of Jonesborough, and within five miles of that turned in the direction of Jonesborough, and within five miles of that place I came upon a regiment of cavalry apparently on picket. Soon after I captured an engineer syrveying the country, who said Kilpatrick's headquarters were on Flint River, directly west of Jonesborough. I send the prisoner to headquarters. He says the Federal army ais pre-