over, met the enemy's skirmishers about 500 yards beyond, drove them, and routed a battalion of rebels, behind rail piles, in a very handsome manner, capturing 17 prisoners, and killing and wounding several. He lost 2 killed and 2 or 3 wounded. He then pushed on to Twenty-Mile Station. General Wood's brigade from Wright's Bridge formed a junction with General Rice near that point. These troops are all I have now near Station Numbers 2; the rest of the Fifteenth Corps is still on this side of the Ogeechee. I propose while General Blair is coming up to-morrow to reconnoiter down both banks of the Ogeechee, break the Gulf railroad, and secure, if possible, the wagon road bridges. It is again reported by General Hazen that our prisoners are on the Gulf road, but only seventy miles out, at a place called Doctor Town. Prisoners and negroes report breast-works in progress of construction about twelve miles from Savannah. They claim to have 17,000 men with which to man them. We shall soon see. I send yesterday's papers. Schofield victory is not quite satisfactory.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

O. O. HOWARD,

Major-General.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE
TENNESSEE,

Numbers 188.
Jenks' Bridge, GA., December 7, 1864.

* * * * *

III. This army will move to-morrow as follows: First, Major-General Osterhaus, commanding Fifteenth Army Corps, will move his Fourth Division, Brigadier-General Corse command, toward Station Numbers 1, on the Gulf railroad, and between the Ogeechee and Little Ogeechee Rivers, reaching, if possible, the Savannah Canal, and reconnoitering thence to ascertain the position of the enemy's forces, and securing, if possible, the bridge across the Ogeechee just below the mouth of the Cannouchee. Second, the First and Second Divisions of the Fifteenth Corps will leave the principal part of their trains at Jenks' Bridge, and be moved to, or near to, the Cannouchee River; thence it will reconnoiter for the purpose of breaking the Gulf railroad, and, if possible, securing the Ogeechee bridge, near the mouth of the Cannouchee. Third, the Third Division, Brigadier-General Smith commanding, will remain near Jenks' Bridge, and guard his own trains and those of the other divisions left there. Fourth, the spare boats of the pontoon bridge will be sent forward to General Hazen, under an efficient officers, with a detachment of pontoniers, leaving camp to-morrow at 5 a. m. ; this is to facilitate the crossing of troops at the Cannouchee. Fifth, the Seventeenth Corps will continue to pursue the direct Savannah road, and pass at least three miles south of Station Numbers 2. Sixth, the cattle, in charge of Captains Roots and Douglass and Lieutenant Todd, will remain in this vicinity to-morrow. Seventh, these headquarters will move at 9 a. m. to some point in the vicinity of Numbers 2, following the Fourth Division, Fifteenth Army Corps. General Woods will cause the brigade of his division now at Station Numbers 2 to remain there until relieved by the arrival of the Seventeenth Army Corps.

By order of Major General O. O. Howard:

SAML. L. TAGGART,

Assistant Adjutant-General.