the town in proper police. Prisoners of war will also be employed for that purpose. The health of all requires that this matter be attended to immediately.

By order of Major-General Halleck:

J. C. KELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Corinth, June 6, 1862-12 m.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:

Your telegraph of yesterday is received. During the investment of Corinth I received information, deemed reliable, from deserters from Fort Pillow, that all the forces except about 700 men had been withdrawn. I telegraphed this to Captain Davis, and urged him to attack or run the batteries, and take Memphis, which was also nearly abandoned. No answer was ever received. Brigadier-General Quinby then went down from Columbus to assist, bur received no encouragement. It is of vital importance to General Curtis' command that the Mississippi should be opened without delay. Unless this is done he must retreat from Arkansas, as he can get no supplies. The rivers are still very high, and he has lost some of his trains. I shall move on Fort Pillow as soon as possible. Wallace's advance guard has reached Bolivar. The greatest difficulty of the advance is to get supplies, as our train is small. To remedy this defect I am working night and day on the railroads. Brigadier-General McPherson is in charge and is pushing things with great vigor. Four locomotives and a number of cars have already been put in running order and burned bridges repaired. The rebels destroyed everything they could reach. I hope in a few days to get a new machine-shop in operation at this place; after which we can proceed more rapidly. The enemy is still at Baldwyn, with a force estimated at 80,000. A portion of his army has gone to Ripley and Holly Springs, while guerrilla forces are scattered over the country, burning bridges, cotton, provisions, &c.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS NEAR BOONEVILLE, June 6, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK:

The reconnaissance last night found the enemy's pickets where they have been heretofore. A further examination will be made to-day, but nothing can be determined certainly by reconnaissance, except it is made in force, and that can only be done properly when we are in position to support it, and attack in force if circumstances warrant it.

My dispositions for the present must of course be based on the information already obtained by General Pope in regard to roads and the enemy's position. With that light the following dispositions will immediately be made.

General Pope will rest his left on the railroad at this point, with strong cavalry pickets to his left and front; his right extending on a road west toward Dick Smith's, which is about 3 1/2 miles from here, and