Fourth. The only powers conferred on General Hood, allowing him to exercise authority within the limits of your department, are embraced in the following communication: One from General Beauregard to General Hood, of date November 15, 1864; the following is an extract:

General Taylor and myself will always be anxious to aid you in your present campaign with all the means at our control, but these being limited, ample previous notice of what may be required should be given, to enable us to make all necessary preparations. It will also give me pleasure to confer on you such powers as you may deem necessary to secure your communications, repair roads, and hasten supplies to your army whilst operating in the department of Lieutenant-General Taylor.

On the 17th of November, whilst General Beauregard was en route for Georgia and yourself absent, I addressed a communication to General Hood, advising him that General Beauregard desired that he would immediately take the offensive, and conferred on him the following authority:

To relieve you from any embarrassment whilst operating in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, General Beauregard authorities you to issue all such orders in General Taylor's department [as] you may deem necessary to secure the efficient and successful administration and operation of your army, sending to Lieutenant-General Taylor, or whoever may be in command, copies of all such orders.

The subject of this authority was to carry out the promise embodied in letter of the 15th of November. No powers have been conferred from these headquarters on Major Ewing, inspector of field transportation, to impress horses and mules, generally for the transportation of General Hood's army. Major Ewing's authority to impress in conferred by General Orders, Numbers 142, Adjutant and Inspector-General's Office, series 1863. No authority beyond this has been given to him from this course. On the 23rd of November, Major Ewing authorized Captain J. F. Cummings, acting quartermaster, an officer reporting, to proceed to certain enumerated counties to obtain horses and mules for the transportation of the armies, upon which the following indorsement was made:

Horses are needed for transportation. Every facility will be given by officers, and citizens are requested to aid Captain Cummings in the discharge of his duty.

No power was given or intended to be conferred by this indorsement, but simply to verify the official character of Captain Cummings, and to secure for him all proper official aid in the discharge of his duties. On the same day Major Ewing addressed another application regarding impressments in this department, and requesting orders. This whole subject was referred to Major-General Maury, on the 25th, for his consideration and report.

Fifth. On the 2nd instant Brigadier-General Gholson was ordered to proceed to Okolona, to collect there the debris of his brigade. McGuirk was then at Macon. At your request I ordered the latter to report with his command at Mobile. I then advised you that as soon as General Gholson had gathered his command general Beauregard had directed that he should report to Major-General Gardner. Whilst you were here it was, I think, understood between us that you would order the command then collecting at Okolona to Corinth. Orders to him at Okolona will reach him.

I shall be happy, general, to co-operate with you in any way to secure concert of action, harmony, and success.

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

GEORGE WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.