SCOTTSBOROUGH, January 2, 1864.

Major SAWYER:

Your dispatch just received in reference to the road from Paint Rock to Flint River. My information was obtained from General Osterhaus and suppose that he was wrongly informed also. I have ordered Captain Pearce to Huntsville as you desired. Will send forward transportation to Colonel Alexander as soon as possible; also the balance of General J. E. Smith's division. I shall in a day or so make an expedition across the river to ascertain what I can obtain of forage; also steal mules, or press if the term is preferred. We must have more mules very soon.

JOHN A. LOGAN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Memphis, Tenn., January 2, 1864.

Colonel J. C. KELTON,

Asst. Adjt. General, Hdqrs. of the Army, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor of forwarding to the General-in-Chief statements of one of my agents just from Mobile. I think them accurate, and so submit them.

Your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

DECEMBER 31, 1863.

Force at Mobile, two regiments home-guards exempts, Cantey's brigade cavalry, one battalion light artillery, heavy artillerists to man the batteries, two battalions marines, wooden steam-vessels of war Gaines and Morgan (twelve guns each, 30 pounder smooth-bores); ram Baltic (unwieldy, one Blakely, two light columbiads, two brass pivot Parrotts); Huntsville and Tuscaloosa (four 30-pounders each on both sides, 11-inch Brooke on pivot in bow, and 11-inch Blakely on pivot astern, plated 4-inch slab-iron); two floating batteries (four square sides, plated railroad iron, armed like last two named vessels, but armament not all in); ram Tennessee (screw propeller, 11 knots, three thicknesses slab-iron, 9-inch oak, 14 of pine, armament to be two 10-inch columbiads on larboard and starboard; one large Brooke gun in bow on pivot, three ports and one in stern; very formidable craft afloat and to take in armament outside the bar.) No heavy guns mounted on north and few on west side of the city in the fortifications; eight batteries heavy artillery line the harbor entrance; a new fort being erected at Grant's Pass, under cover of gun-boats; shells of the fleet pass over Fort Morgan. Steam tug Boston to go on piratical cruise (one 3-inch Parrott and one 12-pounder howitzer). In case of attack re-enforcements to come down Mobile and Ohio Railroad from Enterprise and Meridian; at former place 3,000 paroled prisoners, French's division having gone to Georgia four weeks ago; at latter point decimated Missouri brigade, captured [at] Vicksburg. Polk's command consists of Loring's corps, in winter quarters at Canton, and Jackson's division of cavalry, out toward Big Black.