Colonel Bissell left yesterday on the Sam. Young, with a portion of the ordnance stores. The rest will follow as soon as I can get from Memphis or Saint Louis a boat with a sufficiently strong forecastle for the shipment.

Shall I send more guns from here also, beside the seventy-two above mentioned?

The Thirty-FIFTH Iowa is back, and already at Cairo, except two companies, left temporarily at Island Number 10.

I have sent reports by Major [John R.] Edie and Colonel Bissell. Everything is right here. At Fort Donelson the rebels were handsomely whipped, as telegraphed yesterday, by Major [Thomas J.] Newsham. At Trenton were killed, wounded, and captured 34 of [W. A.] Dawson's guerrillas band; 26 horses and 28 stand of arms taken.

Colonel Wood commanded our forces.

ASBOTH.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Number 1. Memphis, Tenn., February 5, 1863.

The undersigned, pursuant to orders received from the President of the United States, hereby assumes command of the SIXTEENTH Army Corps.

The staff of the general commanding will, until further orders, be composed as follows: Captain Henry Binmore, assistant adjutant-general; Captain Daniel J. Benner, aide-de-camp and acting assistant quartermaster; and Captain William H. Thurston, First Lieutenant William D. Dempster, and Lieutenant Martin K. Cook, aides-de-camp.

All orders heretofore issued will remain in force until further notice.

S. A. HURLBUT.

BEFORE Vicksburg, February 6, 1863.

Major General C. S. HAMILTON,

Commanding District of WEST Tennessee:

From Southern papers, I have seen notices of some of Van Dorn's forces arriving at Holly Springs. There is also evidence that they are working diligently repairing the railroad north from Grenada.

That demonstrations will be made on your lines of communication to divert troops from this expedition is almost certain. If we get Vicksburg and the balance of the Mississippi River, it may also be expected that all their troops now holding it will be suddenly diverted to Rosecrans' front and into WEST Tennessee. I will keep a sharp lookout, however, for this move.

I will leave Quinby's DIVISION until the last moment, but hope that will not be a great while.

If any demonstration should be made requiring the strengthening of some other point in your command, Quinby's DIVISION can be used about the city, so as to enable you to spare a greater number from your command proper.

I think my order in relation to the sale of cotton a just one, and still adhere to it. If wrong, and so decided by competent authority, the quartermaster can refund the whole amount received for the cotton, deducting all proper charges. You will direct, therefore, that the sale proceed under my orders.

U. S. GRANT.