road about 5 or 6 miles to-morrow morning. Please hold your army in readiness to move in same direction. They may move to-morrow if the preparations above desired can be made in time.

Very truly and sincerely, sir, I am, your obedient servant,

EARL VAN DORN,

Major-General.

RICHMOND, VA., September 29, 1862.

Major-General VAN DORN,

Davis' Mill (via Holly Springs), Miss.:

Assume forthwith the command of all the troops left in Mississippi, including General Price's column. Concentrate them without loss of time; reorganize and arm the exchanged prisoners; make proper disposition for the defense of the Mississippi River, and also for an advance into Tennessee, and acknowledge the receipt of this order by telegraph.

G. W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War.

RICHMOND, VA., September 29, 1862.

General VAN DORN, Holly Springs, Miss.:

Have you received my telegram of September 11, addressed to you at Grand Junction? If so, what action have you taken on it?

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

OXFORD, MISS., September 30, 1862.

Major M. M. KIMMEL, Assistant Adjutant-General:

In compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 74,* of Major-General Van Dorn, I report myself at this place, where I shall await his orders. On my return from his headquarters I addressed a dispatch to the Secretary of War, of which I inclose you a copy. The object of this dispatch was, without loss of time, to take ten of the skeleton Tennessee regiments and proceed at once to some portion of Tennessee and by volunteer recruits to fill them up. I sent the dispatch to the Secretary, understanding from my interview with General Van Dorn that he did not feel authorized to make any order in regard to the return prisoners until General Tilghman had reported the whole of them organized. I inclose the Secretary's reply. The construction I place upon the reply is that the Secretary approves of the suggestion, but leaves the whole matter to General Van Dorn's judgment.

By order of General Albert Sidney Johnston I was placed in command of a division of ten regiments, and was in command of that division when suspended. General Buckner, having arrived at Chattanooga on the eve of General Bragg's advance, was placed in command of my division, and when I was ordered by General Bragg to report to General Van Dorn I supposed it was that I should take command of his division; but, inasmuch as some of General Buckner's regiments were Kentuckians, which could be more promptly filled by a Kentucky general, I proposed to take Tennessee regiments, only, believing I could promptly fill them by volunteer recruits. If the suggestion in my dispatch to the Secretary of War meets with General Van Dorn's approval I make the

---------------

* September 23.

---------------