ton Railroad. Every available man in the department has been ordered to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad between Meridian and Mobile, leaving the western portion of Mississippi entirely without troops. The garrison at Corinth is an exceedingly small one, and the forces operating between that place and Memphis are insufficient to repel any advance from that direction. by this time your strength at Mobile must have been materially increased by troops sent via this place and Montgomery and those whom Governor Watts has sent you. The lieutenant-general commanding desires you to keep him fully advised of all the accessions which have been made to jour strength, indicating not only the number, but the character-i. e., arm of service. This, together with the prompt communication of accurate information as to the movements of the enemy, is most important, as it is essential that the troops of General Hood's army should be sent to Corinth at the first moment when they are not absolutely necessary for the defense of Mobile.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILL. M. LEVY,

Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ALA., MISS., AND EAST LA.,
Meridian, December 23, 1864.

Brigadier General D. W. ADAMS,

Montgomery, Ala.:

GENERAL: I am instructed by the lieutenant-general commanding to state to you as follows:

Inclosed is a copy of letter written to you on the 15th instant,* which may have failed to reach you. He desires you to take prompt steps toward carrying out the instructions therein contained. It is of great importance that every man who can possibly be spared should be sent to the command in the field to which he belongs. It is also desirable that measures should be adopted now, while North Alabama is free from the enemy, toward breaking up the bands of jayhawkers and arresting the stragglers and deserters who infest that section. Colonel Reid's command can be used, perhaps, advantageously for that purpose, and the laws of Alabama and the disposition of the Governor will enable the local county militia to be used for the purpose of arresting these deserters, &c. You were ordered to Pollard for the purpose of concentrating and commanding the troops which could be collected against the enemy's recent raiding expedition tot hat point. Your return to Montgomery after the enemy had gone back was proper. The lieutenant-general commanding desires you to use all the means in your power toward sending the men referred to in the inclosed letter to the front.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILL. M. LEVY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
December 24, 1864. (Received 3.15 p. m.)

Honorable J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

General Breckinridge reports that the enemy, after having been roughly handled in the engagements of Saturday and Sunday near

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*See p. 694.

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