gut near Bayou Sara, but the opening of the levee opposite Port Hudson may make it impossible. If so, we will communicate with you freely, by the way of New York, as to our progress. I shall be very glad if you will communicate with us in the same manner. To avoid delays by mail, I will send my dispatches by an officer.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. P. BANKS.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EASTERN Arkansas, Helena, April 10, 1863.

Brigadier General I. F. QUINBY, Commanding DIVISION:

GENERAL: My instructions from Major-General Grant, commanding department, of date March 28, are as follows:

Send Quinby's and [J. E.] Smith's DIVISIONS directly forward, the former to Lake Providence and the latter to this point. Let there be no delay.

In obedience to these instructions, you will proceed forthwith to Lake Providence with your command, and report to the commanding general at that point. There must be no delay in this movement. You will use the transports you now have, as far as necessary, reporting the surplus ones, if any, to Captain R. B. Hatch, chief quartermaster at Helena.

I am, general, very truly, your obedient servant,
B. M. PRENTISS.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Memphis, Tenn., April 10, 1863.

Major General B. M. PRENTISS, Helena, Ark.:

GENERAL: Chalmers lies below me some 35 or 40 miles, with a force whose strength I cannot precisely make out. He has some infantry, about 900 cavalry, and certainly one battery. His headquarters were at Panola; are now said to be at Senatobia. I think a good brigade of infantry, with two batteries and enough cavalry for feelers, thrown in from Austin to Panola or Senatobia, would catch him, and I recommend the movement. I receive no intelligence from yourself or Grant of movements below me, and cannot act in conjunction for that reason. I can send a brigade with artillery and 500 cavalry from this point, but they will escape any direct movement I can make.

I consider it important they should be broken up by an attack in the rear, and will co-operate from this point. There is any quantity of forage around Panola and Senatobia. If you can do this without prejudice to the general cause, let me know. Wednesday or Thursday of next week will suit with my other combinations. Inform me of what is going on.

Your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT.

MEMPHIS, TENN., April 10, 1863.

Major General B. M. PRENTISS, Helena, Ark.:

A very intelligent boy has just come up to me from Grenada, through Panola. Chalmers now has only about 1,800 men and one battery. Most of his men are mounted. He is fortifying Panola, and carrying off to Yockeney, 15 miles, all the provisions and forage he can get, to