NEAR CHATTANOOGA,

Via Chickamauga, September 29, 1863.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General:

Major-General Hindman and Lieutenant-General Polk have been suspended from their commands by my orders and sent to Atlanta, for not obeying orders on the 11th and 20th instant. This has been deemed necessary after grave consideration.

BRAXTON BRAGG,

General, Commanding.

[Indorsements.]

Respectfully submitted to His Excellency the President.

General Bragg has power to arrest an officer of his command, but is bound in that case to show cause by preferring charges as prescribed.

J. D.[AVIS].

RICHMOND, October 1, 1863.

General BRAXTON BRAGG,

Near Chattanooga, Tenn.:

Your dispatch, stating you had suspended Generals Polk and Hindman from command, received. I am directed to inform you that the power of a commanding general in such cases is limited to arrest and to the furnishing charges in order to trial, and that suspension from command as above be considered punishment without trial.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

Charges preferred against Lieutenant General L. Polk, Provisional Army,

Confederate States.

CHARGE 1.-Disobedience of the lawful command of his superior officer.

Specification.-That Lieutenant General L. Polk, Provisional Army, Confederate States, having received orders from his commanding general on the evening of September 19, 1863, to attack the enemy with his command on the field of Chickamauga at daylight the next morning, did fail to obey said order, and did not make the attack until about 10 a. m., and after the order was repeated.

CHARGE 2.-Neglect of duty to the prejudice of good order and military discipline.

Specification.-That Lieutenant General L. Polk, Provisional Army, Confederate States, having failed to carry into effect the orders received from his commanding general on the night of September 19, 1863, to wit, to attack the enemy on the field of Chickamauga at daylight the next morning, did make no report of his non-compliance at the time of such failure, and did take no proper or prompt measures himself to ascertain the causes thereof; did not join his command or any portion of it before or at the time appointed for such attack, to wit, daylight, but did remain at his field headquarters beyond the Chick-