The enemy detaching a portion of his force to secure the crops of the Shenandoah Valley,and raid into Maryland and Pennsylvania to call attention from them, has called me here to organize our forces to drive the enemy south. I came from the Monocacy yesterday afternoon, after having put all our forces in motion after the enemy, and after having put Sheridan in command, who I know will push the enemy to the very death. I will telegraph you in future more frequently than heretofore.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, In the Field, near Atlanta, August 7, 1864-8 p.m.

(Received 3.30 a.m. 8th.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT,
Washington:

I was gratified to learn you were satisfied with my progress. Get the War Department to send us recruits daily as they are made, for we can teach them more wa in our camp in one day than they can get at a rendezvous in a month. Also tell Mr. Lincoln that he must not make the least concession in the matter of the September draft. It is right, and popular with the army, and the army is worth considering. I am glad you have given General Sheridan the command of the forces to defend Washington. He will worry Early to death. Let us give those southern fellows all the fighting they want, and when they are tired we can tell them we are just warming to the work. Any signs of let up on our parts is sure to be falsely constructed, and for this reason I always remind them that the siege of Troy lasted six years, and Atlanta is a more valuable town than Troy. We must manifest the character of dogged courage and perseverance of our race. Don't stay in Washington longer than is necessary to give impulse to events, and get out of it. It is the center of intrigue. I wold like to have General Mower made a major-general. He is a read fighter.

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

NEAR ATLANTA, GA., August 7, 1864-8 p.m.

(Received 2.30 a.m. 8th.)

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Washington, D. C.:

Have received to-day the dispatches of the Secretary of War and Lieutenant-General Grant, which are very satisfactory. We keep hammering away here all the time, and there is no peace inside or outside of Atlanta. To-day General Schofield got round the flank of the line assaulted yesterday by General Reilly's brigade, turned it,and gained the ground where the assault was, with all our dead and wounded. We continued to press on that flank, and brought on a noisy but not a bloody battle. We drove the enemy behind his main breast-works,which cover the railroad from Atlanta to East Point. We captured a good many of the skirmishers,which are of their best troops, for the militia hug the breast-works close. I do not it prudent to extend more to the right, but will push forward daily by parallels, and make the inside of Atlanta too hot to be endured. I have sent to Chattanooga for two 30-pounder Parrotts, with which we can pick out almost any house in