for your success in every sphere of action. The importance of the command cannot be exaggerated; I do not like departments; each line of operations should be intrusted to one mind, but the problem will work itself out. I hope you will soon be down to this latitude again.

As ever, your friend,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. FIRST DIV., DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE,
Memphis, Tenn., October 29, 1862.

Major JOHN A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

SIR: Inclosed please find a report of all the troops in this division of my own corps,* as well as companies attached, called for in your dispatch of the 24th, received yesterday. I have sent to Vicksburg my prisoners of war and exchanged them, but at various times prisoners have been paroled. I will make up a list of such and send you as soon as I can get the data from the provost-marshal. I have had several persons in from the interior who report that Pemberton reached Holly Springs, but finding Van Dorn and Lovell there, his seniors, he has returned to Jackson, Miss. The supposition is that he was ordered to the command in Mississippi on the supposition that Van Dorn's command would be on its way to Nashville. Rumor says now that Van Dorn and Lovell are to be ordered to Richmond, to make way for Pemberton.

Waul's brigade, from Texas, is reported to have passed Jackson to join the army at Holly Springs, said to be 4,000 strong. Detachments of drafted men are represented to be arriving at Holly Springs daily, who are assigned to the old regiment. The army is being reorganized and extensive changes made. Villpigue's brigade is said to be ordered to Meridian. Whole force at Holly Springs estimated at 40,000 men, of which 15,000 are cavalry, surplus of artillery.

Colonel Grierson's expedition toward the Hatchie was perfectly successful; he moved by night to Collierville, coming upon a party of guerrillas, whom he dispersed. He then turned to the north, to Shelby Depot, where he met Stuart's regiment of infantry; then he crossed the Loosahatchee, and scoured the country all the way to Randolph, killing 7 guerrillas, wounding 14, and bringing in 17 prisoners. He captured 20 horses and destroyed a great number of shot-guns; he returned to Memphis in steamboats I had placed at Randolph, having lost not a single horse or man on the trip.

Stuart's regiment also destroyed the Shelby Depot and several buildings used as rendezvous and haunts of the guerrillas. The enemy, hoping to intercept Grierson on his return, interposed a heavy cavalry force at Germantown, their scouts coming in as far as White's Station, and was duly astonished to hear all had safely returned by the river.

The enemy is busy in preventing cotton coming to market, and I hear the people are getting very tired of them, and threaten to fight their way in. They cannot get supplies here unless they bring in cotton and other produce. Troops in fine health and everything doing well. No new attacks on steamboats.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

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*Omitted.

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