unless they were known to be loyal to the Federal Government, of which loyalty there was no standard but the caprice, the passion, or the interest of the officers themselves.

You will at once perceive that should we get military possession of the State, one of the first things to be done will be to overthrow this usurpation and to give to the people of the State an opportunity of establishing such a government as they may desire and of electing such officers to execute the powers of government as they may prefer. It then becomes important that the citizens of Kentucky who have the confidence of the great body of the people, and who have been intimately associated with them both in private life and in the conduct of public affairs, should return to the State to aid and co-operate with the people in their efforts to overthrow the despotism that now oppresses them and re-establish constitutional free government in the State. We are fully convinced that their presence among their old friends and fellow-citizens at this time would be attended with the happiest results both to the people of the State and to the Confederacy; and we would therefore most respectfully suggest and recommend that as many of the officers and soldiers from Kentucky in the service as can be spared for the purpose, with a due regard to other exigencies and interests, should be temporarily withdrawn from other duty and attached to the army entering that State.

We would therefore respectfully suggest that Major-General Breckinridge, with his division generals, Buckner and Marshall, be sent to Kentucky.

We have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servants,

JNO. W. CROCKETT.

HENRY E. READ.

GEO. W. EWING.

W. E. SIMMS.

H. C. BURNETT.

W. B. MACHEN.

ROBT. J. BRECKINRIDGE.

GEO. B. HODGE.

E. M. BRUCE.

JAMES S. CHRISMAN.

Abstract from Field Return of the right wing of the Army of the Mississippi, commanded by Major General L. Polk, August 22, 1862 [headquarters Chattanooga].

Present for duty

Infantry Artillery

Troops Offic Men Off Men Effec- Aggrega Aggre-

ers ice tive te gate

rs total present pre-

sent

and

absent

Cheatham' 699 6,569 18 295 7,261 8,645 12,661

s

division

Withers' 556 7,634 12 374 8,327 10,076 14,466

division

Grand 1,255 14,203 30 669 15,588 18,721 27,127

total

NOTE ON ORIGINAL.-Brigadier General Preston Smith's is not with this division [!], although embraced in this report.