LEBANON, December 8, 1861.

Brigadier-General BUELL:

The two Tennessee [regiments], armed with muskets; the Seventeenth and Thirty-eight Ohio Regiments, Thirty-third Indiana, armed with rifle muskets, and the Thirty-fifth Ohio, and Hoskins' regiment are with Schoepf by this time or should be. He has also Standard's Ohio and two sections of Hewett's Kentucky artillery, and some of Wolford's cavarly. The Thirty-first Ohio has not moves since your order to remain at Dick Robinson., It is armed with the rifle musket, caliber 58. This is well supplied with ammunition.

Have not heard from Schoepf since last night. A telegraph to Colonel Walker from You would reach him in three hours from Nicholasville.

GEO. H. THOMAS,

Brigade-General, U. S. Vols.

HEADQUARTERS, Louisville, December 8, 1861.

(Received Lebanon, December 8, 1861.)

General THOMAS:

The affairs at Somerset are annoying, but I do not intend to be diverted more than necessary from more important purpose. I [suppose] Schoeps will be able to drive the enemy across the river again.

Keep an eye on Columbia, and be prepared to push a brigade or two rapidly to that point.

Organize and equip your brigades as rapidly as possible. See that they have ammunition.

D. C. BUELL,
Brigadier-General.

WASHINGTON, December 8, 1861.

General GEORGE H. THOMAS:

GENERAL: I have your letter of the 13rd ultimo. * The same mail brought other letters, giving me sad accounts of that horrible night march from London.

You are still farther from East Tennessee then when I left you nearly six weeks ago. There is shameful wrong somewhere; I have not yet satisfied myself where. That movement so far has been disgraceful to the country and to all concerned. I feel a sense of personal degradation from my own connection with it greater than from any other part of my public actions. My heard bleeds for these Tennessee troops. I learn they have not yet been paid, and are left without either cavalry or artillery at London, and not permitted to do what is their daily longing-go to the relief of their friends at home. With Nelson and the measles and blue-glass and nakedness and hunger and poverty and home-sickness, the poor fellows have had a bitter experience since they left their homes to serve a Government which as yet has hardly given them a word of kindly recognition. The soldiers of all the other States have a home government to look after them. These have not, and but ford Carter, who has been like a farther to them, they would have suffered still more severely. That they at times get discouraged and out of heard I do not wonder. My assurances to them have failed so often, that I should be ashamed to look them in the face.

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* Not found.

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