to move his command, and gave him orders to cross Stone's River and attack their flank. I also ordered Generals Wharton and Martin to attack their pickets, and develop any change they might be making. These arrangements occupied nearly all Wednesday night.

At daylight Thursday morning I started to reconnoiter the front in person. A portion of Colonel [Baxter] Smith's regiment drove in the enemy's pickets at Readyville. I got a fine view of their camps, and could count distinctly some two hundred tents. No doubt many more were there, as they seemed to extend in a wood near Stone's River. I could not see any fires, men, wagons, or horses. I therefore notified Lieutenant-Colonel [P. F.] Anderson, commanding Smith's regiment, and directed him to press in the pickets again, and report the result. When I hear from him, I will report again. I then rode along our line to Bradyville, and from thence, between our line and that of the enemy, to Fosterville, at which place I arrived at 4 o'clock this morning. After resting about three hours, I went to the front with General Martin, whose brigade had driven in the pickets yesterday, and found the enemy strongly posted.

We have out scouts this morning, and if I find any change, I will press out with the entire force at my disposal.

Some prisoners taken near Bradyville state that they were at the depot at Murfreesborough day before yesterday, and they thought but few troops were moving toward Nashville, but they thought some troops were moving toward Triune or Franklin.

Very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

JOS. WHEELER,

Major-General.

Abstract from tri-monthly return of the Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg, for March 20, 1863; headquarters Tullahoma, Tenn.

Present for duty.

Infantry. Cavalry. Artillery.

Command. Offi- Men. Offi- Men. Offi- Men.

cers. cers. cers.

Polk's corps. 1,208 17,403 15 229 35 1,018

Hardee's 1,026 13,276 6 63 32 690

corps.

Jackson's 102 1,360

-----

-----

6 109

brigade.

Post 23 282

-----

-----

-----

-----

Tullahoma.

Artillery

-----

-----

-----

-----

18 246

Reserve.

Van Dorn's

-----

-----

504 6,364

-----

-----

cavalry corps

Wheeler's

-----

-----

679 8,931

-----

-----

cavalry corps

General

Bragg's

-----

-----

5 135

-----

-----

escort.

Total. 2,359 32,321 1,209 15, 91 2,063

722

CONTINUATION:

Effective Aggregate Aggregate Aggregate

Command. total. present. present last

and absent return.

Polk's corps. 18,352 24,386 37,234 36,963

Hardee's 13,813 17,962 26,760 27,301

corps.

Jackson's 1,451 2,319 3,029 3,029

brigade.

Post 269 414 604 596

Tullahoma.

Artillery 236 282 332 336

Reserve.

Van Dorn's 6,323 7,532 11,507

---------

cavalry corps

Wheeler's 8,869 11,871 17,422 18,130

cavalry corps

General

Bragg's 134 163 189 189

escort.

Total. 49,447 64,929 97,077 86,544

TULLAHOMA, March 21, 1863.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: On the 4th instant I reported to you that Major Cummings, assistant commissary of subsistence, had the orders of Colonel Northrop to assume the direction of the purchase in Middle Tennessee of provisions for General Bragg's troops, and was about to obey those orders.