TUSCUMBIA, ALA., December 25, 1864.

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS:

SIR: I arrived here last night, leaving the army some fifteen miles beyond the Tennessee River, on the Bainbridge route. Our stay in Tennessee was so short and engagements so constant and pressing that we did not recruit to any considerable extent. If we could have remained there a few weeks longer we could and would have recruited to a great extent. The men are here, and thousands were making their arrangements to join the army, but the unfortunate result of the barrel at Nashville and immediate retreat of the army was very discouraging to our people; I hope, however, to be able to get a great many of those men out, notwithstanding we have left the State. I have been with General Hood from the beginning of this campaign, and beg to say, disastrous as it has ended, I am not able to see anything that General Hood has done that he should not, or neglected anything that he should have done which it was possible to do; indeed, the more that I have seen and known of him and his policy the more I have been pleased with him; and regret to say that if all had performed their parts as well as he, the results would have been very different. But I will not detain Colonel Johnson except to say, or rather to suggest, that if General Hood is to command this army he should, by all means, be permitted to organize the army according to his own views of the necessities of the case.

Very respectfully,

ISHAM G. HARRIS.

HEADQUARTERS,
On the River-bank at Bainbridge, December 25, 1864-11 a. m.

Lieutenant-General STEWART:

GENERAL: General Hood directs that, for the present, you keep your command beyond Shoal Creek, to hold the roads over on that side. Take the best line you can find for the purpose. Keep one battery with you, but push forward all your other wheels to this side the creek. Don't let this work stop, night or day, till you get everything to this side of Shoal Creek. You can strengthen the position on the other side as much as you think necessary for the protection of the roads. General Hood wills end your orders when to withdraw to this side of Shoal Creek, and when you do come over you can carry out the previous orders about fortifying on this side the creek.

Yours, respectfully,

A. P. MASON,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

Colonel SEVIER:

Keep a battery, and find a place for troops to bivouac. Preserve this order. Keep the tool wagons with the troops.

ALEX. P. STEWART,

Lieutenant-General.