VIII. Brigadier General J. D. Cox, commanding Twenty-third Army Corps, will send one regiment to picket Boyd's and Ramsey's Ferries on the north side. The commanding officer of the regiment will have the ferry-boats at those places taken down the river to Knoxville, Tenn.

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X. Brigadier General O. B. Willcox, commanding Ninth Army Corps, will select some suitable position near that of the Twenty-third Army Corps, and go into camp until further orders.

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XVII. The Ninth Army Corps, Major-General Parke commanding, will go into quarters, taking position from Campbell's Station do Knoxville, Tenn., guarding the fords of the river. The troops will be disposed as directed by the general commanding the corps, the main body being near and within easy supporting distance of Knoxville. No other supply of forage than that obtained by the corps itself can be furnished, and, if that becomes insufficient, the draft animals and officers' horses will be sent to the rear, where they can obtain it.

XVIII. The Fourth Army Corps, Major General G. Granger commanding, will at once go into quarters, taking position extending from Kingston to Loudon, Tenn., guarding the fords of the river and the outposts extending to Maryville. The troops will be disposed as directed by the major-general commanding the corps. No other supply of forage than that obtained by the corps itself can be furnished, and, if that should become in sufficient, the draft animals and officers' horses will be sent to the rear, where they can obtain it.

XIX. The Twenty-third Army Corps, Brigadier General J. D. Cox commanding, will go into quarters, taking position at Knoxville, Tenn. The troops will be disposed as directed by the general commanding the corps.

All the artillery horses and the transportation of the corps, with the exception to one wagon and team to each corps, division, and brigade headquarters, and to each regiment at Knoxville. The officers' horses will be sent to the rear to be supplied with forage, under the direction of the general commanding the corps.

By command of Major-General Foster:

HENRY CURTIS, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

KNOXVILLE, January 23, 1864.

Major General U. S. GRANT:

We have secured the whole drove of 4,800 hogs which was threatened with capture. The rebels have ceased to press vigorously. I have no idea that they intend to undertake a siege. It is absolutely necessary that the army have rest. I have therefore ordered the whole to go into quarters, and shall post the different corps so as to hold this place, the line of railroad to Loudon, Loudon itself, [and] the line of river to Kingston. I shall also hold Maryville and surrounding country, and the country south of the French Broad as far up as the cavalry can hold.

The country north of us cannot be held for want of forage. I have out posts at Clinton and Wheeler's Gap. All the trains will now