Brigadier-General Vaughn's brigade (formerly infantry)-First Tennessee Cavalry, Third [Provisional Army], Thirty-ninth, Forty-third, and Fifty-ninth Regiments Tennessee Mounted Infantry, Twelfth and Sixteenth Tennessee Battalions, Sixteenth Georgia Battalion, detachment of Sixtieth, Sixty-first, and Sixty-second Tennessee Infantry. Find strength from Adjutant-General's office. This brigade is in deplorable condition; only about 1,200 effective men. Something will have to be done or the command will be lost. General V. has no idea of discipline. (Find my letter to Adjutant and Inspector General.) Some of the commands are good; from what I can ascertain, the great fault is with the commander of the brigade. Another officer should be put in command of the mounted men, and infantry division, under a strict officer. Thus far it has been impossible to get a correct report from this brigade. Recently changes have been made, throwing the troops front he same States into the same brigades. (See order in office.) Insist upon my suggestions being acted upon. Now the command is almost a band of marauders. First Tennessee Cavalry and Twelfth and Sixteenth Tennessee Battalions and Sixteenth Georgia Battalion are fair; the others very indifferent, half of which have been stolen. Three squadrons on the Holston; the others in Ashe and Watauga Counties, N. C. Third, Thirty-ninth, Forty-

third, and Fifty-ninth Tennessee, formerly Reynolds' brigade, Sixtieth, Sixty-first, and Sixty-second Tennessee, Vaughn's old brigade, paroled at Vicksburg.

Brigadier General W. E. Jones' brigade--Eighth Virginia Regiment, Twenty-first Virginia Regiment, Sixty-fourth Virginia Regiment, Twenty-seventh Virginia Battalion, Thirty-fourth virginia Battalion. Not a fair commander among the officers. Colonel of Eighth a drinking blackguard; Twenty-first, a gentleman, but ignorant of military duty; the rest no account. There should be a consolidation of small commands. Jones is trying to get rid of incompetent officers. From the office you will get strength. The chief part of brigade is moving back to wy the County, Twenty-seventh Battalion in Kentucky, Sixty-fourth Regiment in Lee during he winter has been constant and hard. Jones ought to be promoted; notwithstanding all his grumbling, he is a fine officer. Arms, half good; others indifferent. Accouterments and clothing poor.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

Aggregate present.

Jone's brigade:

8th Virginia................................................225

21st Virginia...............................................317

64th Virginia...............................................268

27th Virginia Battalion.....................................240

34th Virginia Battalion......................................222

36th Virginia Battalion......................................184

37th Virginia Battalion......................................300

Vaughn's brigade:

43rd Tennessee Infantry (mounted)..............................215

31st [39th] Tennessee Infantry (mounted).....................................................272

3rd Tennessee Infantry (Provisional Army) (mounted).............199

59th Tennessee Infantry (mounted) .............................241