gun-boats, sinking one and disabling and repulsing the others. At Drewry's Bluft, on 16th of May following, our losses were heavy, both in officers and men.

On 15th, 16th, 17th, again on 30th of June and 1st of July, we were engaged in battles before Petersburg, Va. Our losses were augmented, including valuable officers. This brigade has lost twelve field officers killed and three permanently disabled from field service. Seven of these field officers were killed in the fights around Richmond and Petersburg in the present campaign. On every field Johnson's brigade has shown uniform valor, gaining laurels of which they are justly proud. Would it not be injustice to consolidate such a command and cause it thereby to lose its identity? To say the least, would it not be ungrateful? When our absent members, who are not permanently disabled and prisoners of war, shall return, we will muster, as shown by our reports, over 1,650 officers and men. Should we be so fortunate as to again enter maximum number in six weeks. We know that this can be done without resorting to conscription, for Johnson's brigade is well and favorably known and mainly composed of men living south of Murfreesborough. We have made this statement to you in justice to ourselves and the brave men we represent, trusting that you will use every endeavor to prevent our being swallowed up by any other command. We feel our indebtedness to you in a great measure for our present standing, and believe that you will take that interest in your old brigade which will defeat this measure. If we are allowed to remain as a separate organization and continued in the Department of Richmond until it becomes generally known throughout the South, we believe that there are Tennesseeans enough within our lines, "refugees from home," to swell our ranks to a respectable number. We hear dany of men in the enemy's lines desirous of joining us, but what chance have they at present? It is true that it may be urged that the transfer proposed is to be only temporary, but experience has shown that those temporary annexations do, after a lapse of time, by general assent, become permanent. Should this transfer be ordered in the face of the present strong opposition to it the most unhappy results may be anticipated, the energies of the officers would become paralyzed, and the spirit of the men broken.

Very respectfully,

JOHN M. HUGHS,

Colonel, Commanding Johnson's Brigade.

WM. H. FULKERSON,

Major, Commanding Sixty-third Tennessee Regiment.

U. C. HARRISON,

Senior Captain Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment.

HORACE READY,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Seventeenth and Twenty-third Regiments.

R. B. SNOWDEN,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Forty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Tennessee.

J. E. SPENCER,

Senior Captain and Acting Major Forty-fourth Tennessee Regiment.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION,
September 19, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded.

There can be no doubt that the sentiments of the officers and men of this brigade are strongly opposed to a combination with any other bri-

80 R R-VOL XLII, PT II