John Boyle to Don Carlos Buell, December 16, 1861

General BUELL:

Latest news from General Schoepf, December 12, just received. Enemy encamped at mouth of Fishing Creek. He thinks they can be captured by sending a force against them from Columbia, whilst he crosses the river at Somerset and gets in their rear.

General Boyle writes from Columbia, December 15, that his seouts can neither hear nor see anything of the enemy in the direction of Glasgow or Burkesville. Will send copy of General Schoepf’s communication by

mail. GEO. H. THOMAS, Brigadier-General.

a “CnaP. XVIL] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION.

[f DECEMBER 16, 1861. General MITCHEL, Elizabethtown :

Send one of your brigades to Bacon Creek in the morning, and move your entire division to the same point as soon as convenient.

Captain Bush’s battery will go to that point by the train to-morrow morning, to join your division.

D. €. BUELL, Drigadier-General, Commanding.

Washington, D. C., December 17, 1861.

Would it interfere with your operations if the valley of the Sandy, west of the Big Sandy, should be placed under General Rosecrans? L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., December 17, 1861—5 p. m. LoRENZO THOMAS, Adjutant-General, Washington:

Not directly, but the operations in the valley of the Sandy involve to some extent the central part of Kentucky, which cannot well be separated from my contract. I have just organized a brigade for service in the valley of the Sandy, and am this moment giving instructions to the commander, Colonel Garfield, of the Forty-second Ohio, a promising officer, whom I have called here for that purpose. His regiment is on the Sandy by this time, where it will unite with Moore’s Kentucky regiment, now there, and Lindsey’s Kentucky regiment, now at Greenupsburg. The other regiment, the Fortieth Ohio, will be at [?] 11 p. m. to-morrow. A squadron of Ohio cavalry will be on the Sandy by Thursday, and the three squadrons of Wolford’s Kentucky cavalry will move up through Mount Sterling. These dispositions will, I think, be suffcient for the occasion. I can strengthen them somewhat, if necessary.

D. €. BUELL, DBrigadier-General.

i DECEMBER 17, 1861. Maj. Gen. GEORGE B. McCLELLAN, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

McCook’s division, Munfordville; Mitchel’s at Bacon Creek. We are loing pretty well. Zollicoffer is either retiring across the Cumberland Jr is prepared to do it atthe approach of any superior force. Any more «ormidable demonstrations against him would only harass my troops and derange my plans. lam letting him alone for the present. ` McCook reports :

The rebels attacked my pickots in front of the railroad bridge at 2 p. m. to-day. The p’cket consisted of four companies of the Thirty-second Indiana, Colonel Willich, under laeutenant-Colonel Von Trebra; Their forces consisted of one regiment Texas Raners, two regiments infantry, one battery (six guns). Our loss, Lieutenant Sachs and enlisted men killed and 16 wounded. The rebel loss, 33 killed, including Colonel Terry, of Texas, and about 50 wounded. The rebels ingloriously retreated. D. C. BUELL, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. ELEVENTH BRIGADE, DEPT. OF THE Ohio, Columbia, Ky., December 17, 1861. Brizadier-General THOMAS, Commanding First Division, Lebanon; ‘Ky-s

GENERAL: General Boyle is very unwell, od directs me to inform you that nothing important has oceurred lately. A brush took place between our pickets 8 miles out at the forks of the Glasgow and Edmonton roads, and a party of Texan Rangers, who had made a cireuit through the woods and came on them from towards Columbia. One man on each side was killed, and Captain Frain, formerly connected with the quartermaster’s department in Colonel Grider’s regiment, taken prisoner by the rebels. He is a most worthy citizen from Monroe County, and has contributed more to the aid of the Government than any man in this section of the country.

A considerable body of cavalry pursued the marauders, but only sueceeded in retaking the stock which had been driven off.

General Boyle directs me to say that he has already been ordered by General Buell to send daily communications to General MeCook, to be transmitted to department headquarters. The general suggests that it would be better and more expeditious to communicate by mail, whieh reaches Lebanon daily at noon and Columbia at night; or, if you prefer it, he will serid a messenger daily to meet yours at ‘ Campbellsville, at Redmond’s Tavern, to exchange messages.

The general suggests whether. it would not be better to order Wol- : ford’s cavalry to Jamestown, in Russell County, 4 miles this side the Cumberland River, or to Rowena, on that stream. They are better acquainted than any other troops with all the roads and by-paths for many miles in that direction. A

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,