the Messinger ford, connecting with Osterhaus on the Bridgeport road, and his main guards occupying the main ridge up as far as Brant's.

III. Major-General Parke will leave a small guard at Milldale and Templeton's, sufficient to hold those points, and move all the troops of the NINTH Army Corps to the east side of Clear Creek, connecting his guards at Brant's with McArthur's, his center near Wixon's and his guards connecting with General W. S. Smith's, near Mrs. Neily's.

IV. General Tuttle will hold present position on the spur leading from McCall's to Markham's and Young's, and will entrench a position back of Trible's.

V. General W. S. Smith will hold as now his position at Oak Ridge Post-Office, with guards forward on the two Benton roads, and his right connecting with General Parke, at Mrs. Neily's. General Smith, in connection with General Washburn, will effectually blockade all roads and paths coming from the north and lying between the ridge road and Yazoo Valley road.

VI. General Washburn will hold the fortified position at Haynes' Bluff, with Kimball's DIVISION, and will continue to strengthen the lines on the north front. That being our strongest front, we should invite attack in that quarter,

VII. This disposition of forces makes a connected line from the railroad bridge to Haynes' Bluff, by Tiffin, Wixon's, McCall's, Neily's, and Oak Ridge. Each corps and DIVISION commander will proceed to entrench a position near his key-point, sufficient for two batteries and one brigade, commanding water, and looking to the east and north. All roads to the rear should be improved; a double track for wagons made by opening fences and trimming out woods. Lateral roads should also be looked to, to facilitate concentration and lateral movements. Roads to the front should be obstructed, except such as are necessary for our guards and our own use. The commanding general, after careful personal inspection, pronounces the points from which we have most reason to apprehend danger, to be the two fords at Messenger's, and about a mile below Birdsong, Wixon's, and Neily's are the best points for concentration, and the ridges by Fox's and Markham's the best lines of operation.

VIII. All the cavalry not absolutely needed for orderlies and patrols will be massed under command of Colonel Bussey, THIRD Iowa, on Bear Creek, from Young's up to Harris', and is charged specially to watch the lower Benton road and the ford below Birdsong.

IX. All commanders of corps and DIVISIONS, and the chief of cavalry, will report by letter or staff officer daily to the commanding general at his bivouac near Tuttle's.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

[L. M. DAYTON,]

Aide-de-Camp.

COLUMBUS, KY., June 29, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel HENRY BINMORE, Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. SIXTEENTH A. C.:

COLONEL: Inclosing copies of telegrams received this day from Fort Heiman and Paducah, I beg leave to state that I have considered it proper to forward to the general commanding corps most of the telegrams received from day to day from the several posts of my command, not by any means as reliable information, but as memoranda showing the state of affairs at those posts, and, in comparing reports from other