to Major-General Rosecrans, commanding Department of the Cumberland.

* * * * * * *

By command of Major-General Halleck:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CAIRO, April 9, 1863.

Major-General ROSECRANS:

General Hurlbut directs me to telegraph you the following information from Corinth, April 7, received from General G. M. Dodge's scouts, from Decatur, Florence, and Tuscumbia:

Left Florence April 3. From Decatur to Florence, at every ferry, they are building a large number of flats, and have several finished. At Florence, they have 50 men at work building flats. General Wood at Florence, with battery and one regiment of infantry; at Waterloo, Colonel Debugee's [Dibrell's?] regiment of cavalry; at Tuscumbia, Dodge's [?] cavalry, Colonel Harrison's command, and one battery; at Bear Creek, one regiment cavalry.

N. B. BUFORD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

CORINTH, April 9, 1863.

General ROSECRANS:

Scouts in from Decatur report the enemy very active at every ferry between Florence and Decatur, with one heavy gun and about 1,800 men-800 infantry, rest cavalry. They expect more force there, at Tuscumbia the same number as at Florence, with a regiment at Waterloo and another at Bear Creek. Cox at Ferryville, and Van Dorn at or near Columbia. Scout left Decatur the 5th. Please inform me if you want to make the Tuscumbia move. If not, I want to use my force in another direction.

G. M. DODGE.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Memphis, Tenn., April 9, 1863.

Major General W. S. ROSECRANS,

Murfreesborough:

General Dodge, with 3,500 or 4,000 good troops, will co-operate with your movement on Tuscumbia. It is important that gunboats should cruise from mouth of Duck River up to Tuscumbia during this march. Ellet's Marine Brigade ran by me yesterday without reporting, and are now within your reach. Use them either on Tennessee or Cumberland Rivers. Let your boats take up extra supplies of commissary stores to Tuscumbia, so as to avoid drawing from Corinth.

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Memphis, Tenn., April 9, 1863.

Major General W. S. ROSECRANS,

Murfreesborough:

Since my dispatch of to-day, I learn that Ellet's Marine Brigade are ordered up the Tennessee, to report and co-operate with Dodge.

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.