HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Knoxville, Tenn., September 29, 1862.

Major General J. C. BRECKINRIDGE,

At Chattanooga, Tenn.:

From what I hear I think it very important that you reach Kentucky with your command as soon as possible. This is your best route. Colonel Crokett started this morning. Judge Burnett and J. P. Johnston start to-morrow. Hurry up what transportation awaits you at Chattanooga. I will provide more for you here.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Knoxville, Tenn., September 29, 1862.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: Before General Bragg left Chattanooga he informed me that about 6,000 or 7,000 exchanged prisoners, then daily expected to arrive at Vicksburg, would be sent to Chattanooga, and he gave instructions as to their organization and disposition. By telegram received this morning from Brigadier-General Slaughter, at Jackson, Miss., I am informed that General Van Dorn assumes the responsibility of detaining" a number of the prisoners pertaining to the quota destined for Chattanooga equal to the number of prisoners taken there by General Breckinridge." Major-General Breckinridge informs me by telegram from Mobile of the exchanged prisoners were with him en route to Chattanooga and that he had with him but 3,000 of his own division. Instead therefore of sending 6,000 or 7,000 only 2,000 of the exchanged prisoners are ordered to Chattanooga, and General Breckinridge brings only part of his division. General Bragg relied upon Major-General Breckinridge's command a s an escort for all spare arms that I could collect to send to Kentucky. When he ascertained that General Breckinridge had gone to Holly Springs instead of Chattanooga he directed me to organize an escort from the few troops that were left with me for the purpose of taking the arms in Kentucky and to assign Brigadier-General Maxey the command of the party. Desiring myself to supply as far as I could the deficiency in General Bragg's army by the non-arrival of General Breckinridge's command, and relying on the arrival of the exchanged prisoners, then daily expected at Chattanooga, I made Maxey's command larger than

I should otherwise have done. I presume it is known at the War Department that Generals Bragg and Kirby Smith have left very few troops in East Tennessee. Most of them are but recently raised, and so far as I can ascertain without authority of law, and I think it very desirable that the full quota of exchanged prisoners designed for this department should be sent to it without delay. I will communicate the information I have from General Breckinridge, and Slaughter to General Bragg, but the letter is so far in advance that it will be a long time before any orders he may give in the matter can reach their destination. I have therefore thought it proper to communicate the facts in the case, so far as I know them, to you for such action as may be thought necessary.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.