to march with his regiment, tents, and wagons toward Purdy, leaving only a detachment to guard his present position.

I am, general, your obedient servant,

R. M. HOOE,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

JACKSON, March 13, 1862.

General RUGGLES, Corinth:

All of our available troops have been ordered to concentrate at Bethel.

GEO. G. GARNER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,

Numbers 44.
Decatur, March 13, 1862.

1. Lieutenant Colonel D. Beltzhoover is appointed chief of artillery for this army, and will enter on his duties at once.

2. Brigadier General Samuel B. Maxey will report to Brigadier General John B. Floyd at Chattanooga, Tenn., for duty with his command.

* * * * * *

[By command of General Johnston:

W. W. MACKALL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.]

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EAST TENNESSEE, Knoxville, March 13, 1862.

General S. COOPER,
Adjutant-General C. S. Army, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: I would respectfully report my arrival at this place, and that I assumed command of the District of East Tennessee on the 8th instant:

I find East Tennessee an enemy's country, and the people, where removed from the immediate presence and fear of the Confederate troops, in open rebellion. The force now present in the district is not over 7,000 effective men. The Twentieth and Twenty-third Alabama Regiments and Lieutenant-Colonel Stovall's battalion are for the war; the rest of the command is for twelve months, and their terms of service expire principally in April, May, and June. Of the six regiments to be sent from Virginia, J. C. Vaughn's (Third Tennessee) alone is here. The First Georgia was mustered out of service. Maney's and Bate's First and Second Tennessee have been ordered to Huntsville and Decatur by General A. S. Johnston.

Of the four regiments from General Bragg's command, the Twentieth and Twenty-third Alabama are at present so reduced and disheartened by deaths and sickness that it will be a long time before they will be effective. Their sick number near 600 and the mortality is daily on the increase.

The Ninth Mississippi has been furloughed, and the terms of service of the Sixth Georgia expires early in May.