M. Crocker commanding, to Natchez, MISS., as fast as transportation can be furnished for that purpose, to form the garrison of that place.

His jurisdiction will extend from Vicksburg to the Louisiana State line.

By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Vicksburg, MISS., August 8, 1863-6 p. m.

Major General H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:

Your dispatches of the 1st 3rd received. Ord's corps goes immediately to General Banks' department. Will send a list of candidates for cadetship on Monday, after giving them an examination.

U. S. GRANT.

HDQRS. Fifteenth A. C., Camp on Big Black, August 8, 1863.

Colonel E. F. WINSLOW, Fourth Iowa Cavalry:

SIR: In pursuance of Special Orders, Numbers 156, of the 6th instant, you will take command of the cavalry forces designated in these orders, and start on the 10th instant for the north. You will strike for the lower Benton road, and follow it to Mechanicsburg and thence to Yazoo City. There you will find a gunboat and a supply of provisions, with which you can replenish. After a short rest, keeping very quiet as to your destination, proceed to Lexington, and thence strike the Great Central Railroad, and ascertain, if possible, if the locomotives and cars belonging to the road are still above Grenada. At our last accounts there were between Grenada and Water Valley and immense number of locomotives (70) and nearly 500 cars. If you find any locomotives below Grenada, you will endeavor to have them and all cars sent up to and above Grenada, and you will proceed to that place with your cavalry. General Grant has ordered a force from Memphis to meet you at or near Grenada. Communicate with them as soon as possible, and with your joint forces use all possible efforts to get these cars and locomotives into Memphis. I take it for granted that parties are now employed in repairing the track out from Memphis, and that you will find everything done on that end of the road. You know that we have so crippled the road from Canton, south, that no railroad stock can be carried off by the enemy, and, therefore, we have no interest in destroying it, and, therefore, you will confine your labors and efforts to save it by moving it toward and into Memphis. You will find plenty of engineers and conductors whom you can employ, or, if necessary, use force to compel them to work therains.

I am satisfied all of Jackson's cavalry is at or Brandon, east of the Pearl. If any detachments have been made, they are toward Natchez. The Memphis forces will, of course, drive out of that neighborhood all of Chalmers' men and other detachments of guerrillas more intent on collecting conscripts than in fighting. No matter which force you meet, attack promptly and resolutely, and so handle your forces that they cannot count your numbers. Do not stay in Grenada, but occupy the bank of the Yalabusha, the other side of Grenada, till you are in connection with the Memphis forces, after which act according to