Captain W. R. Mitchell, Company A, to be major of that battalion.

First Lieutenant Mills E. Brittenam, Company a, to be captain of that company.

Second Lieutenant H. A. Reynolds, Company A, to be first lieutenant of that company.

By order of Brigadier-General Chalmers:

W. A. GOODMAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

MISSIONARY RIDGE, October 7, 1863.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General:

Present for duty: Infantry-4,664 officers; 46,447 soldiers. Artillery-157 officers: 3,480 soldiers. Cavalry-13,620 officers and soldiers. Returns imperfect.

Present sick: Infantry-officers, 344; soldiers, 5,370. Artillery-officers, 4; soldiers, 235.

Absent: Infantry-officers 2,640; soldiers, 37,530. Artillery-officers, 14; soldiers, 1,044. Cavalry-60 per cent. absent.

Infantry-171 regiments; 23 battalions. Cavalry-35 regiments; 7 battalions. Artillery-46 batteries.

Cavalry returns very imperfect. Above includes all troops in department, except local service.

BRAXTON BRAGG.

[OCTOBER 7, 1863.-For Beauregard to Bragg, concerning operations in Virginia and Tennessee, see Series I, Vol. XXVIII, Part II, p. 339.]

MERIDIAN, October 8, 1863.

General S. COOPER,

Richmond:

Major-General French, who has been absent sick since July, has returned. Evans' brigade sent to Savannah, and Maxey's to Mobile, leave but McNair's, reduced in the battle near Chattanooga to a skeleton. He is too valuable an officer to be left in an inadequate command. Brigadier-General Ruggles is also without a command.

J. E. JOHNSTON.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA, Dublin, October 8, 1863.

Brigadier General JOHN S. WILLIAMS,
Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: The major-general commanding is in receipt of your letter of the 6th and your subsequent dispatch of same date. In reply he directs me to say that you will fight the enemy as long as possible if attacked by him, and if you can hold out no longer will fall back.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. B. MYERS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.