left about 12 miles. Keep constantly in communication with these pickets by couriers, and report ;promptly to these headquarters any movements of the enemy. You must press down on the Louisville and Bardstown Railroad as far up toward Louisville as you can and destroy the bridges and culverts. Do this as promptly as possible.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEORGE WILLIAMSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

KNOXVILLE, TENN., September 23, 1862.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General:

In obedience to instructions from Secretary of War I have assumed command Department East Tennessee, headquarters here.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF KENTUCKY,
Lexington, Ky., September 23, 1862.

GENERAL: Your letter of the 21st instant, written near Hodgensville, just received. I regard the defeat of Buell before he effects a junction with the force at Louisville as a military necessity, for Buell's army has always been the great bugbear to these people, and until defeated we cannot hope for much addition to our ranks from Kentucky. Cleburne's and Preston Smith's brigade

are at Frankfort to-day and have orders to proceed to Bloomfield without delay. The remainder of my command, Marshall excepted will move for Frankfort to-morrow; so I will be in supporting distance of you in your operations against Buell. My force of infantry at Frankfort will number about 8,000; the two brigades of Cleburne and Smith will not reach 3,000. I shall leave Marshall, who should be to-day at Mount Sterling, to watch and keep in check the enemy toward Covington. There are no indications of any force from Cumberland Gap nearer than Manchester. With regard to supplies, I have large quantities at Danville and I am also collecting them at Frankfort.

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

E. KIRBY SMITH,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF KENTUCKY,
Lexington, Ky., September 23, 1862.

Colonel JOHN H. MORGAN,

Commanding Cavalry Brigade, near Estill Springs, Ky.:

COLONEL: I am directed by the major-general commanding to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 22nd instant from Estill Springs, and to say to you that you will endeavor, either by pushing forward your advance guard by reconnaissances or the capture of prisoners, to ascertain definitely whether the forces of the enemy in the neighborhood of Manchester are a foraging party or whether the Gap.