MERIDIAN, January 21, 1865.

(Received 9.20 o'clock 24th.)

General S. COOPER:

General Beauregard's suggestions about Roodey were made at my request, and did not contemplate leaving North Alabama unprotected, but simply to delocalize the troops for the good of the service.

Respectfully,

R. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-General.

MERIDIAN, January 21, 1865.

Colonel GEORGE W. BRENT,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Montgomery, Ala.:

About 2,500 white and 6,000 negro troops reported to be at New Orleans on 4th. On 5th an army corps, said to be from Thomas' army, went down Mississippi on fourteen transports; destination believed to be Mobile.

R. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-General.

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ALA., MISS., AND EAST LA.,
Meridian, January 21, 1865.

Mr. WINTER,

Agent State of Louisiana:

DEAR SIR: I have represented to the honorable Secretary of War the necessities and sufferings of the people of those sections of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana which have been the theater of active military operations for so long a time and thereby rendered destitute of provisions, but have failed in my efforts to induce the Department to authorize the exchanges of limited quantities of private or State cotton for necessary family supplies. General Beauregard has however told me that he would, in the absence of any prohibitory instructions from the War Department to him on the subject, grant the necessary authorizations for such exchanges upon the application of the Governors of the respective States. I therefore lose no time in notifying you of the fact, in order that no unnecessary delay may occur in forwarding to General Beauregard the required application and obtaining from him the authority to relieve the above referred to citizens of Louisiana.

I am, sir, very respectfully, yours, &c.,

R. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-General.

(Similar letters to Governors Charles Clark and T. H. Watts, of Mississippi and Alabama.)

MERIDIAN, January 21, 1865.

Captain HUMPHREYS,

Army of Tennessee, Depot Ordnance Officer, Columbus, Miss.:

Lee's and Cheatham's corps are moving to South Carolina. General Beauregard directed orders to you, from Tupelo, to ship to Montgomery fair proportions for these two corps of your entire supply of