LEXINGTON, April 29, 1863.

Major-General BURNSIDE:

Following just received from Carter:

Your dispatch received. I am near Waitsburg. I wish to cross in the morning, if possible. One boat, I think, is all we can get. Five hundred cavalry are to cross to-night at Smith's Shoals, to move along south bank of the river to Waitsborough to protect our crossing. It is raining, and the river rising.

CARTER.

O. B. WILLCOX,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY,
Lexington, Ky., April 29, 1863.

General S. P. CARTER.

Commanding Fourth Division, Stanford, Ky.:

GENERAL: The general commanding desires to have a more efficient organization of your division, and he would suggest the following brigade organization as one to be adopted to correspond with the Ninth Corps:

First Brigade (senior colonel commanding).- Twenty-fourth Kentucky, One hundredth Ohio, One hundred and third Ohio, One hundred and fourth Ohio, and Forty-fourth Ohio, mounted.

Second Brigade (senior colonel commanding). - One hundred and twelfth Illinois, Thirty-second Kentucky, Second Tennessee, and Forty-fifth Ohio, mounted.

First Cavalry Brigade (Colonel Kautz commanding). - Second Ohio Cavalry and Seventh Ohio Cavalry.

The First Kentucky Cavalry and all the artillery of your command to be attached to the division and afterward distributed as may seem best, the senior officer of artillery acting as chief of artillery for the division. The regiment of cavalry attached to division headquarters also to be disposed of as occasion may require.

The Twenty-fourth Kentucky will not move to Mount Sterling until the general hears of Colonel Grigsby's application, forwarded you. If it should be detached it will still be considered a portion of your division, but reported on detached service.

The Second Brigade, Colonel Christ commanding (First Division, Ninth Army Corps), is still considered as belonging to its old division, but on detached service under you, and will be so reported on your returns as Second Brigade, Second Division, Ninth Army Corps.

The above organization will much simplify your returns, and will be more easily controlled.

The general commanding would like to hear your views upon the subject if you disapprove of it; otherwise the organization will go into effect.

The First Brigade should be commanded by the senior colonel of the two brigades; so, perhaps, their designation should be changed. The artillery should be so distributed that batteries may not be broken, if possible to avoid such contingency.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

NICOLAS BOWEN

Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.

P. S.- All the troops of the Ninth Corps will always be considered as retaining their original designation in that corps, unless it may be ordered otherwise by the proper authority.