men; City of Alton, capacity 1,500 men; making, in all, a capacity for 25,200 men. On these boats, however, I have sent about 2,500 men, which leaves transportation for a little over the number of men required by you, though not by any means so many small boats as you desire. I think, in addition, there will be within a few days as many as six to ten more small boats. I regret my inability to comply with your orders almost as much as you can, but I have done my best.

Our wants for transportation here I have stated without exaggeration, and earnestly request, for the good of the whole service, that you will instruct the quartermaster of transportation to send back such boats as you can best spare as soon as can be safely done. I deeply regret that I cannot be permitted to accompany these boats, and share the labors and good fortune which, I trust, await you.

Very respectfully and sincerely, yours,

L. B. PARSONS,

Colonel and Asst. Quartermaster General, Supt. Transportation.

P. S. -If any changes are desirable, please telegraph me.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

MURFREESBOROUGH, March --, 1863. (Received March 14-1. 55 p. m.)

Major-General WRIGHT, Cincinnati:

Telegraphed you day before yesterday that I could spare you eight steamers, less than 200 feet long, if you can give me equal tonnage in other craft.

W. S. ROSECRANS.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 14, 1863.

Respectfully referred to Colonel L. B. Parsons, assistant quartermaster, who can obtain the boats on the terms within mentioned by General Rosecrans.

By command of Major-General Wright:

T. L. HAYDEN,
Aide-de-Camp.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

CINCINNATI, March 14, 1863.

Major-General ROSECRANS, Murfreesborough, Tenn.:

I go to Saint Louis to-night. Please telegraph me there the names of the eight boats, and I will at once advise you whether I can replace them with other craft. How soon can they be at Cairo if I do?

L. B. PARSONS,

Colonel and Assistant Quartermaster.

[Inclosure Numbers 3.]

MURFREESBOROUGH, TENN., March 14, 1863.

Colonel L. B. PARSONS, Quartermaster:

There are but four boats here that are under the exclusive control of this department; all of the others used for the transportation of supplies from the Ohio River. As soon as unloaded, General Rosecrans has no objections to the exchange of boats that you propose, but if the