be misconstrued, whereas their employment by the Government as in pursuance of law, is clearly within the rules of war, and will increase our effective force by the number of negroes so employed.

By order of Major General W. T. Sherman:

J. H. HAMMOND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Corinth, August 9, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief of the Army, Washington, D. C.:

I address you direct, no order yet being received announcing your staff, and not feeling certain that you should be addressed through the Adjutant-General of the Army. All is quiet now north of the Memphis and Charleston road, there being no organized force nearer our line than Holly Springs in the center and Saltillo on the left. There is abundant evidence that many citizens who appear to be quiet non-combatants in the presence of our forces, are regularly enrolled and avail themselves of every safe opportunity of depredating upon Union men and annoying our troops in small bodies.

The guerrillas have been driven entirely south of the Hatchie, and I hope to be able to keep them there. I think of sending the remainder of the Sixth Division of the Army of the Tennessee to Bolivar, which will give a force there sufficient for this purpose.

I am anxious to keep the whole of the Army of the Mississippi together and under the command of Brigadier-General Rosecrans, ready for any emergency, either to move upon any force that may threaten my front or to re-enforce General Buell. Having so many major-generals to provide commands for this may be difficult. I regret that General Rosecrans has not got rank equal to his merit to make this easy.

I have communicated to General Buell several times such information as I had of interest to him, but have never received any acknowledgment. I do not know where he is.

I have sent an additional brigade to hold the line east to Decatur, and ordered another. In accordance with your instructions I will try to hold the communication with General Buell and be in readiness to re-enforce him if it should become necessary.

All intercepted letters from rebel troops show that most of the forces that were in front of us have gone to Chattanooga. I informed you by telegraph that I believed the enemy had no intention of attacking this line in force, but only desire to hold Buell and myself in check, whilst the mass of their disciplined troops are being sent to Richmond. I have no positive evidence of this, but the conviction is strong with me. I give this, however, for what it is worth.

All stores have been removed from Pittsburg Landing, and the regiment that was stationed there I have sent to Jackson. The Sixty-third Illinois Regiment has been brought from Cairo to Jackson and relieved by the Eleventh Illinois, a very much reduced regiment. The Seventy-first Illinois, a new regiment, has also joined, and has been assigned to duty at Columbus. This embraces all the changes made in the position of troops since your departure, except those previously reported.

Recent orders are bringing back great numbers of absentees.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

U. S. GRANT.

Major-General.