HEADQUARTERS, Near Knoxville, Tennessee, November 30, 1863.

General R. RANSOM, Jr.,
Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: I wrote you yesterday. I hope that you telegraphed my letter to the President. I send you a dispatch in reply to his. I hope that you will come to join us at once and bring General Vance with you. I think that you might come as far as Blain's Cross-Roads, or Rutledge, at least. You could aid us materially at either of these points. If we can get together we must get the enemy at Knoxville.

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

J. LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General.

Abstract from return of the Army of Western Virginia and East Tennessee, Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones, C. S. Army, commanding, November 30, 1863; headquarters Dublin Depot, Va.

Present for duty

Command Officers Men Effective

total

General and staff a 21 - -

Ransom's division: Staff 6 - -

Corse's brigade 83 1,092 1,092

[infantry]

Wharton's brigade 58 900 900

[infantry]

Jackson's [A. E.] brigade 51 312 312

[infantry]

Jones' [W. E.] brigade 133 1,913 1,913

[cavalry] b

Williams' brigade 125 1,197 1,197

[cavalry]

King's battalion 25 459 459

[artillery] c

Total Ransom's division 481 5,873 5,873

Echols' brigade: Infantry 109 1,395 1,395

Chapman's battery 5 100 100

Jackson's horse artillery 4 45 45

McCausland's brigade: d 77 1,224 1,224

Infantry

17th Virginia Cavalry [e] [e] 295

Bryan's battery 3 117 117

Troops at Saltville 43 623 623

[infantry] f

Jenkins' brigade - - -

[cavalry] g

W. L. Jackson's brigade 92 777 777

[cavalry]

Lurty's battery 5 43 43

Company of engineer 2 54 54

troops

Total 340 4,378 4,673

Grand total 842 10,251 10,546

Command Aggregate Aggregate Aggregat Pieces

present present and e last of

absent return artiller

y

General and staff a 21 21 21 -

Ransom's division: Staff 6 7 7 -

Corse's brigade 1,291 1,824 1,817 -

[infantry]

Wharton's brigade 1,055 1,383 1,438 -

[infantry]

Jackson's [A. E.] brigade 421 1,012 1,049 -

[infantry]

Jones' [W. E.] brigade 2,253 3,474 2,644 -

[cavalry] b

Williams' brigade 1,496 2,575 2,610 -

[cavalry]

King's battalion 527 693 566 24

[artillery] c

Total Ransom's division 7,049 10,968 10,131 24

Echols' brigade: Infantry 1,675 2,313 2,416 -

Chapman's battery 114 152 151 -

Jackson's horse artillery 51 67 68 -

McCausland's brigade: d 1,420 1,682 1,686 -

Infantry

17th Virginia Cavalry 380 565 511 -

Bryan's battery 131 158 159 6

Troops at Saltville 709 893 897 -

[infantry] f

Jenkins' brigade - - - -

[cavalry] g

W. L. Jackson's brigade 938 1,611 1,598 -

[cavalry]

Lurty's battery 48 77 77 -

Company of engineer 56 73 70 -

troops

Total 5,522 7,591 7,633 6

Grand total 12,592 18,580 17,785 30

a Dublin, Va.

b Twenty-first North Carolina, aggregating 794, not on return of October 31.

c McClung's battery, aggregating 53, and Burroughs' aggregating 78, not on last return.

d Sixtieth Regiment included in this brigade.

e Not given.

f Forty-fifth Virginia detached at Saltville. Two partisan companies, aggregating 191, not on last return.

g No report received from Fourteenth and Sixteenth Regiments for November.