when the road sot Knoxville are bad. From this camp as a base of operations I hope in mild weather to penetrate the country towards London or Danville, or in other directions, and command the approaches to Cumberland Gap or Jacksborough. I hope I may be practicable, by scouring the intervening country occasionally by detachments from both camps, to establish and safely maintain a line of express messengers between General Bucker's outposts and my camp.

My information, when at Knoxville, induces me to believe that the numbers under Clift, in Hamilton County, were greatly exaggerated. I doubt whether he had at any time more than 100 to 200 followers. They are not now to be found, having dispersed. The tories in Sevier seem also to have retired where as yet our troops are not able to find them. I sent a few men up to Greeneville to arrest Andrew Johnson's sons and son-in-law. Have no late news from Carter and Johnson Counties. By this time I presume General Carroll is at Knoxville, in command, and instructed to make proper dispositions to guard the railroad and crush the tory combinations.

The recent burning of the bridges brought a crisis which I think demonstrates that but comparatively a small proportion of the population will now give countenance to hostile acts against the Confederate Government, and that those who are still hostile are only running upon their own destruction. They should now be dealt very severely with. Leniency and forbearance have gradually won many thousands over who would have been driven to the enemy had our policy been severe two months ago, but those that are yet hostile can only be cured o their folly by severity. They should be made to feel in their persons and their property that their hostile attitude promises to them nothing but destruction.

Very respectfully,

F. K. ZOLLICOFFER,

Brigadier-General.

Abstract from return of Brigadier General F. K. Zollicoffer's command for November 20, 1861, headquarters Warburg, Tenn.

Present for duty.

Troops. Officers Men. Aggrega- Aggre-

te gate

present. present

and

absent.

16th Alabama 22 303 401 455

(battalion).

15th Mississippi. 28 515 701 1,051

17th Tennessee. 26 371 538 938

19th Tennessee. 28 603 693 939

20th Tennessee. 43 637 765 961

1st Tennessee Cavalry 13 297 341 376

(battalion).

1st Tennessee 4 105 126 137

Artillery, Company A.

Total. 164 2,831 3,565 4,857

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
Bowling Green, Ky., November 21, 1861.

His Excellency JOHN J. PETTUS,

Governor of State of Mississippi:

To oppose the formidable invasion about to be made by the enemy upon the northern line of Tennessee, with the design to penetrate the