division will, for the present, be detached, and remain in the command of Major-General Dix. Major-General Parke will at once proceed to Newport News and take command of the two divisions, and make the necessary preparations and arrangements for carrying out his verbal instructions.

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Steamer Bostona, Numbers 2, off Fort Heiman, Ky., March 17, 1863.

(Via Paducah, Ky., March 18.)

Major General STEPHEN A. HURLBUT,

Commanding Sixteenth Army Corps, Memphis, Tenn.:

In obedience to your orders, reoccupied Fort Heiman, on the 14th, in the morning. The rebels fired previous to our landing, but the first shell from the gunboats made them run. I left the Third Minnesota and the One hundred and eleventh Illinois Volunteers, with two pieces of artillery and two companies of cavalry, as garrison, in command of Colonel Griggs, with proper instructions, while I myself proceeded with five companies of infantry and two companies of cavalry on the steamboat Bostona, in company with three gunboats, up the river as far as near Perryville, above mouth of Duck River. All the country from there to Florence is overflowed. Rebel deserters, crossing at Perryville on the 15th (evening), brought the news of three days' fighting near Columbia, Tenn., ending in the total defeat of Van Dorn by Rosecrans. May it be so.

On returning, I found, yesterday afternoon, at Runnelsburg, a camp deserted by rebel cavalry, the fires still burning. Last night my boat, detained destroying and sinking flat-boats, was fired upon from the bluff at Parker's Landing. I brought four flat-boats and ten skiffs down to Fort Heimana, and destroyed eight flat-boats and three canoes.

The conscription and organization of rebel forces in the counties of Kentucky and Tennessee west of the river is entirely broken up by General Sullivan's co-operation. The rebel Major Blanton, who had over 200 men here, crossed over on the day of my arrival at Sandy Landing.

I will return to-morrow to Columbus by land, with two companies of regular cavalry, with the view to establish posts, in addition to those at Clinton and Benton, at Mayfield and Murray, thus making a chain of communication to control properly this portion of Kentucky.

Captain LeRoy Fitch, commanding third division light-draught flotilla, will efficiently co-operate for the future. The gunboats Saint Clair and Robb will commence to-morrow to run up and down the Tennessee, controlling all crossings.

ASBOTH,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Murfreesborough, March 18, 1863.

Brigadier General LORENZO THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army.

GENERAL: I have the honor herewith to transmit a monthly return of Fourteenth Army Corps, Department of the Cumberland, for month of December, 1862, called for by the General-in-Chief, February 23, ultimo, which communication was not received until the 5th instant,