MERIDIAN, December 10, 1863.

Lieutenant-General HARDEE,

Commanding Army of Tennessee:

GENERAL: I have had the honor to receive your telegram of the 8th. The appeal to the War Department, which your dispatch indicates, caused me a good deal of surprise, the matter in question being entirely between the commander of the Army of Tennessee and myself, as my dispatch of November 22 to General Bragg and that of December 4 to yourself plainly show.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. E. JOHNSTON,

General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A., ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, Richmnod, Va., December 10, 1863.

General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON,

Commanding,&c.:

GENERAL: Your communication, inclosing letter of Colonel J. H. Rives, aide-de-camp to the Governor of Mississippi, relative to the transfer of certain State troops to the Confederate service, has been submitted to the President, by whom it has been returned to this office indorsed as follows:

There has been evidently a misapprehension, and as the subject has been referred to the Legislature, it si now too late to restore the case to its original position.

The proposition agreed on was, that the mounted troops raised by the State should be turned over to the Confederate Government in organized bodies, made to conform to the law, that the State being owner of the horses could be allowed to draw the per diem provided to be paid for their use and risk, and the arms and equipments should be paid for as is usual in like cases.

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

H. L. CLAY,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS,

No. 20.
Meridian, Miss., December 10, 1863.

The headquarters of this department are hereby transferred from Meridian to the post of Brandon.

All the officers of General Johnston's staff, unless specially excepted, will be stationed there until further orders.

* * * * *

By command of General Johnston:

T. B. LAMAR,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

DALTON, GA., December --, 1863.

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS:

Your telegram of yesterday received. Appreciating the importance of the information you desire, I have been earnestly endeavoring to ascertain the movements and probable purpose of the