and if you should be threatened by a serious attack, the Government will endeavor to afford you protection, if it can be done without endangering even more vital points.

Your obedient servant,

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

Abstract from tri-monthly return of the army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg, January 20, 1863; headquarters Tullahoma, Tenn.

Present for duty.

Infantry. Cavalry. Artillery.

Command. Officers. Men. Officers. Men. Officers.

Polk's corps 1,260 14,862 14 181 33

Hardee's 900 10,480 7 38 28

corps

Jackson's 100 710 1

brigade

Morgan's 197 2,124 7

brigade

Wharton's 163 2,054 5

brigade

Wheeler's 118 1,629

brigade

Forrest's 131 2,209

brigade

Buford's 61 662

brigade

General 5 96

Bragg's

escort

Grand total 2,350 26,052 696 8,993 74

Command. Men. Effective Aggregate Aggregate

total. present. present

and

absent.

Polk's corps 952 17,633 21,113 37,600

Hardee's corps 666 12,517 15,351 27,268

Jackson's 83 1,065 1,356 2,250

brigade

Morgan's 134 2,343 2,743 4,226

brigade

Wharton's 49 2,257 2,879 4,135

brigade

Wheeler's 1,769 2,093 2,795

brigade

Forrest's 2,246 2,505 3,194

brigade

Buford's 687 846 1,130

brigade

General 110 125 185

Bragg's escort

Grand total 1,884 40,627 49,002 82,783

CHATTANOOGA, January 21, 1863.

General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON.

Commanding, &c.:

SIR: The following is the aggregate and distribution of the force in the Department of east Tennessee present for duty: aggregate, 8,520, of which 6.136 are infantry, 348 artillery, and 2,036; distributed thus-Cumberland Gap: Infantry 1,643; artillery, 207; cavalry, 263; total, 2,113. Big Creek Gap: Infantry, 1,037; artillery, 84; cavalry, 353; total, 1,474. Scattered: Infantry, 3,456; artillery 57; cavalry, 1,420; total, 4,933. This sent to enable you to decide more readily on General Heth's proposition. In the artillery at Cumberland Gap are included a company of sappers and miners, 55 strong. The numbers are accurate, Pegram's brigade excepted, which is supposed to contain 1,200 effective at least.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. S. EWELL,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. WRIGHT'S BRIG., CHEATHAM'S DIV.,
POLK'S CORPS, ARMY OF TENN.,

Tullahoma, April 16, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of 13th instant, informing me that the major-general commanding directs me to furnish the names of " two Tennesseeans of this brigade

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* For abstract from field return of Wharton's brigade for January 14, 1863, see Series I, VOL. XVII, Part II, p. 835.

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