of the Army of the Potomac. This order was transmitted by a special messenger, who delivered it to McClellan at Rectortown on the 7th.

When I left the Department of the Mississippi in July last the main body of the army under Major-General Buell was between Huntsville and Stevenson. moving toward Chattanooga, for which place they had left Corinth about the 10th of June. Major-General Curtis" force were at Helena, Ark., and those under Brigadier- General Schofield in Southwestern Missouri. The central army, under Major-General Grant, occupying the line of West Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, extended from Memphis to Iuka, and protected the railroads from Columbus, Ky., south, which were then our only channels of supply.

These several armies, spread along a line of some 600 miles, from the western borders of Arkansas to Cumberland Gap, and occupying a strip of country more than 150 miles in width, from which the enemy's forces had recently been expelled, were rapidly decreasing in strength from the large numbers of soldiers sent home on account of real or pretended disability. On the other hand, the enemy's armies were greatly increased and rigidly enforced conscription. With their superiority in numbers and discipline they boldly determined to reoccupy Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and, if possible, to invade the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, while our attention was directed by the invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania and an extended Indian insurrection on the Western frontiers.

This plan had very many chances of success, but the timely order of the President of August 4 calling for additional forces, and the patriotic response of the people of the Northwest, thwarted the enemy's well-formed calculations. General Bragg suddenly transferred a large part of his army from Tupelo, Miss., through the States of Alabama and Georgia, reached Chattanooga in advance of General Buell, turned his left, and rapidly crossing the State of Tennessee entered Kentucky by Munfordville and Lebanon. General Buell fell back upon Nashville without giving the enemy battle; then followed, or rather moved parallel with Bragg, who, after capturing our garrison at Munfordville, turned off the main road to Louisville, along which General Buell passed, the later reaching Louisville without an engagement. Another column of the enemy had moved from East Tennessee, after blockading Cumberland Gap, upon Lexington and threatened Cincinnati. A small force of our raw troops, which had been pushed forward to Richmond, Ky., under Major-General Nelson, were met by the enemy and completely routed.

In the meantime every effort had been made to collect new troops at Cincinnati and louisville, and to fortify these places against a coup de main. To give confidence to the new levies a portion of General Grant's army was withdraw from Mississippi and sent to kentucky and Cincinnati. No attack was attempted by the enemy. Major-General Buell left Louisville on the 1st of October with an army of about 100,000 men in pursuit of General Bragg. The latter engaged a part of General Buell's army at Perryville about 10 o"clock on the 8th of October. A general battle ensued, and was continued till dark. It was mainly fought by Major-General McCook's division [corps]. The enemy retreated during the night. The losses wer heavy on both sides, but no official reports of the numbers engaged or the losses on either sized have been received.*

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* For losses (Union and Confederate) see Series I, Vol. XVI, Part I, pp. 1033-1036, 1108, 1112.

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