[Inclosure.]

CORINTH, February 12, 1863.

Major-General HAMILTON:

My cavalry came up with Van Dorn's advance yesterday morning, 12 miles south of Burleson, Franklin County, Alabama, on the Cotton-gin and Russellville road. We captured a number of prisoners, and find that Van Dorn, with twelve pieces of artillery and four brigades of mounted men, commanded by [W. H.] Jackson, [R.] McCulloch, [J. W.] Whitfield, and [F. C.] Armstrong, are moving north on that road. He camped night before last near Bear Creek. The cavalry are still there, doing the best they can. All the prisoners appear to be ignorant of where they are going-some say to Bragg, some Tennessee River, and others to Kentucky. He has a heavy train with him, and the bridges I have burned will disconcert him. A gunboat should be at Florence, for I believe he will cross at that place. Roddey and [J. B.] Biffle have crossed the Tennessee, and all the mounted robbers in the country are joining him. The roads are very bad, and streams high. His main force is now 70 miles from him. I have ordered the cavalry to stay in the mountains in Alabama, and do all the mischief they can; they certainly, so far, have made some bold dashes there. Prisoners were taken right out of his column.

G. M. DODGE.

(Similar, Dodge to Rosecrans, February 13.)

HDQRS. SEVENTEENTH A. C., DEPT. OF THE TENN., February 12, 1863.

Major-General HURLBUT:

I have just received the following telegram, and I send it to you, thinking you may wish to telegraph for gunboats.

Respectfully, yours,
JER. C. SULLIVAN.

[Inclosure.]

JACKSON, February 11, 1863.

Brigadier-General SULLIVAN,

(Care of Major-General Hamilton):

Colonel Sanford telegraphs from Bethel:

I have information that Roddey, with 1,500 men and three guns, two of them 24-pounders, joined Biffle, who has 500 men and two 6-pounder guns, at Waynesborough, on Sunday last, and that their intention is to move to Clifton from Waynesborough, to try and intercept the transports that are expected up the river. This came from good, loyal men who live near Waynesborough.

T. H. HARRIS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE TENNESSEE, Number 2. Young's Point, La., February 12, 1863.

I. The nature of the service the army is now called on to perform making it impracticable to transport or provide for persons unemployed by Government, the enticing of negroes to leave their homes to come within the lines of the army is positively forbidden. They should be permitted to remain at their homes, and, in pursuance of the recommendation