States beef-cattle, and 100 Shea. The cotton I forwarded, per instructions from General Grant, to the river landing; the beef and sheep will be turned over to the commissary of subsistence of the Thirteenth Army Corps in the morning. There are several reports of Morgan's cavalry approaching. Captain Greene Durbin, assistant quartermaster, who under a flag of truce, came within 2 miles from Jackson, met three General Loring and Morgan? with a large force not less than 7,000 in his estimation. The captain could not ascertain in which direction the column was moving. A rebel officer, under a flag of truce, bearing General Loring's reply to General Grant's letter by Captain Durbin, is at my pickets as this time, not desiring that he enter my lines, I sent an officer of my staff to receive the rebel dispatches, and leave to the officer bearing them the choice to either stay outside my picket until General Grant's answer arrived, or return and leave it to a flag of truce from our side to carry that answer to General Loring. I hope this course MAY meet the general's approval. The large number of wounded at Champion's Hill expressed the desire to be moved into our lines. I would be very glad to respond to their wishes, if adequate means of transportation were at my disposal. Could you not cause General Hovey to send his ambulances and ambulance corps over for the purpose, if the transfer is approved by General McClernand? Be so kind and give my your opinion in regard to this matter by return messenger. I am, colonel, you most obedient servant,

P. JJ. OSTERHAUS,

Brigadier-General, commanding.

Lieutenant Co. Walter. B. Scates,

Assistant Adjutant General.

HDQRS. NINTH DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Big Black River Railroad Bridge, May 29, 1863.

GENERAL: Your order of to-day to burn the railroad bridges and track east of here is just received, and I take immediate steps to execute them most effectually. I had the honor before to report that I had almost every bushel of corn destroyed along the railroad line and the public road as far as Boton. Since then I did the same thing as far north and south of the railroad as my limited means allowed it, and Colonel Wright, with the Sixth Missouri Cavalry, is out at present to look around at and near Bridgeport. The following articles of contraband were collected on these raids and shipped: To Major-Garber, assistant quartermaster Thirteenth Army Corps, 53 mules, 14 horses, and 152 bales of cotton; to commissary of subsistence Thirteenth Army Corps 118 head of beef-cattle. There are now on this side already for shipment 330 bales of cotton, and a lot of beet-cattle will come in this afternoon. Cotton and beef will be forwarded to the river with all dispatch. My scouts from Edwards Station, champion's Hill, hall's Ferry, and Bridgeport Ferry report everything quiet. No enemy has been seen since the so distant paroling of the wounded at Champion's Hill. The paroling officer there only took a list of the men, without their giving or signing the parole. Can such proceedings stand for a parole?