LOVEJOY'S STATION, GA., September 6, 1864--3.45 p. m.

Brigadier-General COBB,

Macon:

Send all the reserves at Macon to Andersonville at once, to report to General Winder.

[J. B. HOOD,

General.]

SEPTEMBER 6, 1864--7 p. m.

Brigadier-General MORGAN,

McDonough:

Our infantry occupy Jonesborough. Unless you receive counter instructions from General Jackson you will early to-morrow place your troops on a line between Tucker's cabin and Flat Rock. We are informed that the enemy are under orders to occupy Decatur, Atlanta, and East Point.

[F. A. SHOUP,

Chief of Staff.]

HEADQUARTERS RODDEY'S CAVALRY,
Courtland, Ala., September 6, 1864--10 a. m.

[General WHEELER:]

GENERAL: Brigadier-General Roddey directs me to say that your two favors of the 5th and 6th are just to hand. The general is very much indisposed, but will take the saddle and join you, and will be at Lamb's Ferry by daylight. He has ordered Colonel Johnson to report to you. Colonel Patterson's brigade is to-night at Gilchrist's, ready to cross. He has been ordered to communicate with you. (Gilchrist's is opposite mouth of Elk, your former crossing.)

There are three good boats at Lamb's Ferry that will carry artillery; there are four boats at Bainbridge, which is the best crossing. Any of these will carry artillery. There are a number of other boats below Bainbridge, the location of which Colonel Johnson knows better than he does, and can give you more information about them than I can.

The general directs me to say that he believes that the enemy can be defeated without hazard north of the river, between Chattanooga and Pulaski; that the mounted force does not exceed 2,000, and that the infantry force at each garrison has not left their stockades for several days, and that they are mostly negroes, and feebly garrisoned. Colonel Patterson's orders from General Roddey were to cross the river at mouth of Elk, passing between Athens and the river, strike the road and destroy as far as practicable in the direction of Decatur; then to pass across, striking the road between Decatur and Huntsville, destroying as much as possible, and then passing across, leaving Huntsville to the left, and striking the road between that place and Stevenson. The general directs me to say that you may exercise your own judgment; that you can order him to carry out these orders or to come to your support. He is subject to your orders, and he requests me to say that you will communicate with him. To carry out the orders would prevent the enemy from re-enforcing the party in your front and create a diversion in your favor, and, besides, the road can be badly damaged in the

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