Numbers 236. Report of Colonel J. P. Johnson, Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General, C. S. Army.

JANUARY 8, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report, and also the report of Major Hays. They will show some of the many difficulties that he had to encounter in complying with his orders to obtain rosters from the Army of Tennessee. That he has been [as] faithful and energetic as the circumstances would permit in completing his work I have no doubt. The fact that the army has been constantly on the move since May last, which deprived the regimental officers of all their papers, and the casualties attending the campaign in loss of officers made it impossible to get up proper rosters sooner, and in great many instances where blank rosters were furnished by Major Hays they would be lost by the officers to whom they were given before they could be made out. Accompanying Major Hays' report you will find rosters of thirty-one regiments completed. He hopes in a short time to finish his entire work and return to Richmond:

I left the army on the 23rd of December, at the urgent request of General Hood, to make a verbal report to the President of the condition of the army. This is my explanation for returning before all the work contemplated in my orders were completed.

I submit field returns of December 10 and November 6, marked "AA," and also brigade returns and rosters of staff officers of Stewart's and Cheatham's corps; also reports of names of staff officers of Lieutenant-General Lee's corps, marked "BB."* The movements of the army and scarcity of paper prevented my obtaining fuller returns from General Lee's corps. You will also find organizations of Army of Tennessee by corps, divisions, and brigades, marked "CC." The report of Colonel E. J. Harvie is also submitted; it shows the number of inspectors and status of each serving with the army - "DD."+ The report of General Elzey, chief of artillery, shows the losses of artillery and condition of artillery on hand on the 21st of December, as well as the assigning of artillery to divisions of the army, marked "EE." These reports show our loss to have been sixty-five pieces of artillery in the campaign, which left us forty-three pieces on hand. I left the army with an abundance of ammunition for all purposes. Lists of division, brigade, and regimental commanders killed, wounded, missing, and captured in the battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864, will be found, marked "FF."

The spirit and morale of the army was not good after the engagement at Nashville, but had improved before I left it, and no apprehension need be felt for its safety. It was well clothed and well fed during the campaign in Tennessee.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. P. JOHNSON,

Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.

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* Rosters of staff officers omitted.

+ Omitted.

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