claims to be an old organization, but by what authority, or when raised and first organized, investigation has not yet disclosed. It was a fragmentary command when it reported to General Forrest. It now numbers, by recruits, &c., recently obtained, 735 present for duty. This brigade was increased 1,000 men in the recent invasion of Kentucky by General Forrest.

Bell's brigade. -Is composed of the Second, Fifteenth, and SIXTEENTH Tennessee Regiments, commanded respectively by Colonels Barteau, Russell, and Wilson; also of Newsom's regiment, formed recently by the union of a fragment of Forrest's old regiment and Newsom's battalion. This entire brigade, except seven companies of the Second Tennessee and four companies of Newsom's regiment, are newly organized commands.

I herewith file copies, marked D and E, of authorities granted to Colonel Bell for the raising of his command.

Gholson's brigade. -This brigade was transferred to the Confederate States by the State of MISSISSIPPI on the 1st day of May, 1864. In October, 1863, General Forrest was authorized by His Excellency President Davis to proceed to North MISSISSIPPI and WEST Tennessee for the purpose of raising and organizing troops. He carried with him Forrest's regiment, McDonald's battalion, and one battery. On reaching his new field of operation, the only organized command found there by him was the brigade of Brigadier-General Chalmers. All the other commands were either in a chaotic, disorganized condition or incomplete, and claiming to be followers of different leaders. Their commanders found it impossible to keep their commands together. On the 6th of November, 1863, Brigadier-General Richardson's morning report showed an aggregate present for duty of 826 out of an aggregate of present and absent of 2,954. On the morning of the 19th of the same month he showed an aggregate of 330. The necessity for reconstruction and reorganization of all these scattered, disorganized, and fragmentary bodies became necessary. General Forrest accordingly informed the commanders that unless by the 5th of February, 1864, they could reassemble their commands he would assume the power of reconstructing them. The commanders having failed to reassemble their commands, General Forrest, in anticipation, as it were, of the policy of an act of Congress, approved February 17, 1864, repealing the act to organize bands of partisan rangers, proceeded, on or about the 5th of February, 1864, to reconstruct and reorganize all these bands into battalions and regiments. The result of his action in the premises was substantially the organization presented in the accompanying papers. The rosters will all show that he assumed and exercised the power of appointing both field and staff for many of these commands. This consolidation of commands took place principally in troops of Richardson's command and some scattered bands or battalions, claimed to have been raised by Collins, Dawson, Street, Bennett, and others. It is impossible to trace out the origin and subsequent history of all these organizations. It is equally so to reinstate them in their original condition. To do so would produce endless confusion and controversy. To avoid such calamity, the good of the service would be best promoted by accepting the existing organization. Even if individual wrong were inflicted by so doing, the action of the Government would be justified by the principle that private interest should be subordinated to great public considerations in times like the present; but it would be very difficult to show that any private wrong would be done. Legitimate

41 R R-VOL XXXIX, PT II