HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY BRIGADE, CAVALRY CORPS,
MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Mount Pleasant Road, Crossing of Lawrenceburg Road,

November 23, 1864.

Major-General SCHOFIELD,

Department of the Ohio:

SIR: Your dispatch by courier of the 20th instant is received. I send you a copy of your telegraph as it was delivered to me.* The result of reconnaissance to Waynesborough I have furnished you by previous dispatches. I fell back to this point agreeable to your orders, this being the only point between here and Waynesborough where forage can be obtained. I opened communication with General Hatch yesterday at Lawrenceburg, and shall, under his orders, scout the country on my right thoroughly. It is certain that no force of the enemy had passed on this side of the Tennessee River lately in the direction of Nashville. All the scouts and squads from Forrest's command that we have come in contact with were moving in a southerly direction.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

HORACE CAPRON,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, CAVALRY CORPS,
MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Twelve Miles Southwest of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., November 23, 1864.

Brigadier-General HATCH:

GENERAL: Your dispatch by courier was received last evening. In accordance with your instructions, I will at once scout all the country on my right to discover any movements of the enemy in the direction of Nashville. I send you a map# of the country over which I have already scouted, which I think will be found correct.

While at Waynesborough, under General Schofield's orders, I scouted daily on all the roads leading from that place, going upon the Florence road twenty-five miles; on the road to Eastport, twenty miles; on the West Point road to within four miles of that place; and then west to the Tennessee River at Clifton. In no case did I find any large force of the enemy or any indications of his having been on these roads, though in every direction I came in contact with Forrest's scouts, generally moving south, who are represented as having been home to obtain clothing and horses, but who are no doubt watching our movements. I am now at the farthest point on the Waynesborough road southwest of Mount Pleasant where forage can be obtained, and it is a good point from which to scout. It may be necessary to move still farther back toward Mount Pleasant to obtain forage, as it is quite scarce even here. My force present is 1,000 men, temporarily armed with Springfield muskets an arm that we have had no experience with. The Fifth Indiana Cavalry I have heard nothing of since they were furloughed at Nicholasville, Ky., some six weeks or two months ago.

I have sent back to Columbia for rations, clothing, and horseshoes. Many of my horses are without shoes and broken down from the severe and constant scouting during the most incessant rains and over terribly

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*Inclosure not found.

#Not found.

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