I have heard nothing from Wright to-day, but am expecting in information very soon. Your force which is to attack in front of Somerset, will not cross until further orders, unless the commanding officer should discover that his force is large enough to cross and beat the enemy.

I will communicate with you again when I hear from Wright.

A. E. BURNSIDE.

HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Jackson, Tenn., April 18, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel HENRY BINMORE, A. A. G., Memphis, Tenn.;

SIR: The following dispatch was received this morning from Corinth by messenger:

U. S. GUNBOAT LEXINGTON,

April 16, 1863.

Brigadier General GREENVILLE M. DODGE,

Commanding United States Forces, Corinth, Miss.:

I have received your dispatches of the 1st and 3rd instant. There will be two or four boats on the river all the time as long as there is water. Our coal depot is below: therefore the boats will have to make trips down for fuel, but will return as soon as coated, unless urgent necessity compels me to send them off on short temporary trips elsewhere. I would have been back here before this had it not been that my presence was required up the Cumberland. I regret to say that the river is too low just now, and has been for some time, for my boats to get over Coulter's Shoals, but I am anxiously awaiting a rise. The river is now rising slowly but whether there will be water enough for a week yet to let us get over or not I cannot yet say. I trust, though, there will. I will be ready to take advantage of it. I have on this river at the present time four of my best boats. This, I trust, will be sufficient as the remainder of the fleet is required to convoy transports on the Cumberland. Should necessity require it I could, for a short period, have more boats here. With these four boats, I can carry about 2,000 infantry. If the water will rise sufficiently to let us cover the shoals, I will guarantee to cut off their re-enforcements from the Florence side. We can soon drive them off or capture their entire force on the Tuscumbia side. I do not think, from what I can learn, that there is a very heavy force now at Tuscumbia Landing. I am expecting some transports up with troops from Nashville, and left two of the gunboats at Fort Henry to give them convoy. I will let you know as soon as I can get over the shoals, and if the troops do not arrive from General Rosecrans, I would suggest that, if you can send 2,000 infantry on the gunboats and cavalry by land, we make a move without waiting as the river is not likely to remain long at a sufficient stage. I do not think there will be over one more rise this season, and by waiting too long we may lose our only chance at Florence with the gunboats.

Many thanks for your kindness.

Very respectfully,

LEROY FITCH,

Lieutenant Commanding.

P. S.- I will try to keep you informed of my whereabouts, and will also send you all the information I can gather. I expect to be between Duck River and Chickasaw for several days yet, unless the river again commences falling rapidly. My instructions form Admiral Porter are, "Go down as the river falls," and, of course, I ascend as it rises.

Respectfully, yours,

R. J. OGLESBY,

Major-General of Volunteers.

HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING, SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS.

Jackson, April 19, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel HENRY BINMORE,

Asst. Adjt. General, 16th Army Corps, Memphis, Tenn.,:

SIR: I inclosed the dispatch of Lieutenant Fitch, commanding gunboat Lexington to General Dodge, by mail. The Seventh Kansas ar-