Colonel Forrest's and General Chalmers' brigades move this evening to Houston. I have ordered all the balance of my forces to concentrate here, and will follow to West Point with all my forces to-morrow. Watch your right wing closely, and have General Lee's forces in position to co-operate with me. In the event the enemy proves too strong for me I shall fall back in the enemy's front toward Meridian, in case I am forced to fall back at all.

Yours,

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General.

Lieutenant General L. POLK.

HEADQUARTERS,
Grenada, Miss., February 14, 1864-8 p.m.

(Received Gainesville, Ala., 10.15 p.m., 15th.)

General Smith, with 10,000 mounted infantry and cavalry and thirty-one pieces artillery, passed Holly Springs on the evening of the 12th, going in direction of Beck's Spring and New Albany. Colonel Forrest's brigade, with battery, left here at 2 p.m. for West Point. Brigadier-General Chalmers, with Colonel McCulloch's brigade and battery of mountain howitzers, left Oxford at 4 o'clock this evening, moving in same direction. Richardson's and Bell's brigades, with two batteries, will leave here to-morrow evening at 4 o'clock, following Colonel Forrest. Lieutenant Colonel A. H. Forrest is on the Yazoo River with one regiment fighting gun-boats and transports. Gun-boats checked; transports moving down river. I will leave a force at this place. Look out for enemy. They may get ahead of me and attempt to gain your rear and cut railroad. Send force up the road to meet them if they can be spared. Think I can make West Point by morning of 19th.

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General.

Lieutenant-General POLK,

Meridian, Miss.

GRENADA, February 15, 1864. (Via Macon, 10 p.m.,17th.)

My scouts report the enemy, 10,000 strong, crossing at New Albany on 13th and 14th with thirty pieces of artillery. I fear they are ahead of me. General Chalmers' brigade is moving to Houston from Oxford. Colonel Forrest's brigade left here yesterday, and I think will reach West Point by 8 a.m. to-morrow. I move from here with Bell's and Richardson's brigades at 4 o'clock in the morning, and will endeavor to fall in about Starkville.

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General.

Lieutenant-General POLK,

(Care Major A. M. Paxton.)

HDQRS. STARKEVILLE, February 18, 1864-4 p.m.

(Received Gainesville, Ala., via Atresia, 19th.)

I have just arrived here. Have not more than 40 rounds, of ammunition to the man. All my artillery will be here to-night, but the horses have been pulled through the mud and are in a broken-down