CHATTANOOGA, September 24, 1863. Major-General BURNSIDE : Please telegraph me at once where you are; we are holding on, and want to know. You should come down on the west side of the river, for the other cannot be safe lower down than Washington. W. S. ROSECRANS, Adjutant-General ANDERSON: Major-General. WASHINGTON, D. C., September 24, 1863-3 a. m. All troops in Kentucky which can be spared, and which can reach Rosecrans by Nashville sooner than by East Tennessee, should be sent to Rosecrans by railroad via Nashville. H. W. HALLECK, CINCINNATI, OHIO, September 24, 1863-8.30 a. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief: I have already sent half of the troops that were garrisoning Kentucky to General Burnside. There are now about 3,300 old troops in the State. Guerrillas have already commenced to commit depredations. The new troops are being mustered in and equipped as rapidly as possible, but as yet they are of very little use. Under these circumstances shall I send any of the remaining troops out of the State? Everything in the other States of the department, except most necessary prison guards, have been sent to General Burnside. W. P ANDERSON, Assistant Adjutant-General. Major-General POPE, Milwaukee: WASHINGTON, September 24, 1863-2.55 p. m. Battery B, First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, will report for temporary duty at Louisville, Ky. It will be ordered here as soon as circumstances will permit. The infantry regiments from your department ordered to Saint Louis should be sent forward as rapidly as possible. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief. Adjutant-General ANDERSON : WASHINGTON, September 24, 1863-4 p. m. In regard to the troops to be left in Kentucky, you will be governed by General Burnside's instructions. The object of my telegram to you was that if there were any troops ordered to East Tennessee which could reach Chattanooga by Nashville sooner than by other routes, they be sent that way. H. W. HALLECK, HEADQUARTERS, Capt. W. P. ANDERSON, Assistant Adjutant-General: The following just received: Louisville, September 24, 1863. Please send by to-morrow's train two regiments of infantry for temporary duty at Nashville. I want to draw troops from there to guard the railroad, which is now vital to us. W. S. ROSECRANS, I have no troops to send unless I take two regiments from the troops at Glasgow now under marching orders to General Burnside. Shall I send them? Send two of the regiments of infantry from Glasgow, if they have not started, to Nashville for temporary duty, as requested by General Rosecrans. I will see that the superintendent of the Kentucky Central Railroad reports at your headquarters Saturday morning. By command of Major-General Burnside: W. P. ANDERSON, Assistant Adjutant-General. General BOYLE, Louisville: CINCINNATI, OHIO, September 24, 1863-8.30 a. m. When did General Burnside's re-enforcements leave Glasgow? Please answer immediately. By command of Major-General Burnside: W. P. ANDERSON, Assistant Adjutant-General. LOUISVILLE, September 24, 1863. General RoSECRANS: Can't communicate with Burnside directly. Will it be safe and prudent to send 3,000 to 5,000 men across from Glasgow to Knoxville? What is state of facts as to your army now? Please answer. Much anxiety. BOYLE. Major-General ROSECRANS : HEADQUARTERS, Louisville, September 24, 1863. I have no troops that can be spared for the railroad, having been ordered to send all I could spare to General Burnside. I have concentrated five regiments at Glasgow for this purpose, and they will probably march to-day. J. T. BOYLE, Brigadier-General. LOUISVILLE, September 24, 1863-9.30 p. m. General ROSECRANS, Chattanooga: I have ordered the Fiftieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Ninetyfirst Indiana Volunteers to Nashville, but they cannot arrive there before Saturday. J. T. BOYLE, Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND : CALHOUN, September 24, 1863. Couriers have arrived from Chattanooga. They report General Rosecrans has fallen back to Chattanooga, where he is intrenching. Granger's command has fallen back across the river; the trains also have crossed the river, but I don't know that it is reliable. The couriers also state that it has been a drawn fight so far. They say we have taken 12,000 prisoners, and that the rebels admit loss of 5,000 killed. Our scouts report two pieces of artillery planted on a hill 3 miles this side of Cleveland. All is quiet to-night. R. K. BYRD, Colonel, Commanding. [SEPTEMBER 24-OCTOBER 3, 1863.-For miscellaneous orders, correspondence, and reports relating to the transfer of the Eleventh and Twelfth Army Corps from the Army of the Potomac to the Army of the Cumberland, see Series I, Vol. XXIX, Part I, pp. 146-195.] VICKSBURG, MISS., September 25, 1863-12 noon. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief: Your dispatches* of the 13th are just this moment received. Have been detained between Cairo and Memphis from the 14th to the 22d. Under more recent dispatches troops have been moved up the Mississippi. As per dispatch sent 22d instant, I will now send Sherman to West Tennessee with two more divisions of his corps. This leaves *See Part I, p. 36. one division of Sherman's corps here, but it is replaced by one of McPherson's, already above. I send this to Cairo by a staff officer, who will await dispatches. U. S. GRANT, Major General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, Col. J. C. KELTON, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Washington, D. C.: COLONEL: The dispatch of the General-in-Chief to Major-General Hurlbut for re-enforcements for Rosecrans was received here on the 22d instant. The inclosed* are the orders made. The division ordered from the Seventeenth Corps is one that had been ordered to further re-enforce General Steele's column. On arriving at Helena dispatches were received from General Steele announcing the retreat of Price; hence their services were not required there. Supposing this division to be about embarking for their return to this place, and being already far on their way in the direction troops must travel in obedience to the dispatch of the General-in-Chief, one of my staff was immediately dispatched with orders to turn them northward. The division of the Fifteenth Army Corps ordered (Osterhaus') was at the Big Black River Bridge. They received their orders in the forenoon of the 22d; all reached here during the night of the same day and embarked, and most of them got off on the 23d. What was left of this division got off yesterday. I would much prefer sending an army corps to sending detachments from each. But this could not be done without much delay, unless the route to be taken is by Corinth and the Sixteenth Corps is sent. This contingency you will see is provided for in the orders inclosed. Should detachments from all the corps of my command go to re-enforce the Army of the Cumberland, General Sherman will be sent in charge of them. General Banks is now calling on me for another division of troops. It will be impossible for me to supply them. I regret not having a force now to move against Mobile with. I am confident that Mobile could now be taken with a comparatively small force. At least a demonstration in that direction would either result in the abandonment of the city or force the enemy to weaken Bragg's army to hold it. I see by a paper published at Meridian, Miss., that General Joe Johnston has been relieved from duty. There is no infantry force to my front now except Loring's division. A portion of the cavalry has also been withdrawn. Logan and Wirt Adams infest the country from about Rodney to Port Hudson. I shall put my cavalry in that country in a few days and endeavor to clear them out. I am just out of bed, and find that I can write only with great difficulty. During the twenty days that I have been confined to one position on my back I have apparently been in the most perfect health, but now that I am upon crutches I find myself very weak. Very respectfully, * See September 22, p. 774. U. S. GRANT, VICKSBURG, September 25, 1863. Maj. Gen. W. T. SHERMAN, Commanding Fifteenth Army Corps: GENERAL: Dispatches from General Halleck, of date the 13th instant, show that the forces from here are to move via Corinth and Tuscumbia to co-operate with Rosecrans. You will therefore hold two of the remaining divisions of your corps in readiness to move to this place for embarkation to Memphis on receipt of notice that transportation is provided. You will go in command. The division you leave will report to General McPherson in place of Smith's division, of his corps, which will accompany you. You will take no cavalry. By order of Major-General Grant: JNO. A. RAWLINS, Brigadier-General and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. General GRANT: SHERMAN'S HEADQUARTERS, Your dispatch received. The preliminary orders will be issued the moment Colonel Coolbaugh is outside our lines with his flag of truce. It is best that the withdrawal of my corps be kept secret from the enemy as long as possible. W. T. SHERMAN, SHERMAN'S HEADQUARTERS, General RAWLINS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Vicksburg: I have just inspected and reviewed my Fourth Division. I will take the Second and Fourth Divisions and leave Tuttle's; this division and the cavalry can cover the points of Big Black. McPherson will be out to-morrow, and I will show him everything and leave him to dispose of the force left behind. I have ordered the sick and all surplus baggage to be sent in by cars, and will hold the troops to march at an hour's notice, having their wagons ready to load up. I can easily start on Sunday, and embark by Monday, if you have the boats. W. T. SHERMAN, General RAWLINS, SHERMAN'S HEADQUARTERS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Vicksburg: You remember the report of the board determining the battles each regiment of my command could inscribe on their colors. Do you understand that the order for such inscription is made by the War Department, by you, or by me? I want to bring up the records |