HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,
Murfreesborough, December 7, 1862.

Brigadier-General WHEELER,

Chief of Cavalry, Commanding:

GENERAL: The general commanding directs that you will send for Captain Rice's company of Fourth Tennessee Regiment [Rece's company, Allison's squadron", reported at Alexandria, between Lebanon and Liberty, and order it to join its regiment, with Brigadier-General Wharton.

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

GEO. G. GARNER.

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,

Numbers 17.
Murfreesborough, December 7, 1862

I. Major Davis' battalion of cavalry is relieved at McMinnville, and will report at once to Brigadier-General Wharton.

* * * * * * *

By command of General Bragg:

GEO. G. GARNER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

MURFREESBOROUGH, December 7, 1862

General S. COOPER, Richmond:

Sixty thousand * Federals at Nashville; forty thousand on railroad and in Kentucky . To send south would lose Tennessee and greatly disorganize this army. Only route south (railroad) would take at least a month. Holmes can arrive much sooner. Will no send south unless ordered. I shall go to Mississippi in a few days.

J. E. JOHNSTON.

RICHMOND, December 8, 1862.

General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON.

Murfreesborough, Tenn.:

Your dispatch of yesterday, in cipher, cannot be read; neither the President nor this office has the key. Who is the author, and what edition? A signal officer to be immediately sent to you.

S. COOPER.

Adjutant and Inspector General.

MURFREESBOROUGH, December 8, 1862

General COOPER, Richmond;

Your dispatch of to-day received. The cipher was given to me by the President, and used last spring. Revised edition abridged from N.

---------------

*Words in italics were in cipher. See reply of Cooper, December 8, p. 444.

---------------