HEADQUARTERS, Strawberry Plains, November 8, 1862.

President JEFFERSON DAVIS:

DEAR SIR: Summer is gone; fall has come. During the latter we came near losing East Tennessee. At present we have to look out for the future.

I beg leave to submit a plan for the defenses of East Tennessee, which has been submitted to General Jones and others, and received their approval.

1st. Let a depot be established at the west and of the bridge at Strawberry Plains.

2nd. Let the road be completed from that point into the road leading to Blain's Cross-Roads.

3rd. This would complete the opening of the wagon communication between the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad and Kentucky.

To secure this communication to be kept open, I would respectfully recommend the establishment of a line of posts, from 15 to 20 miles apart, on the plan adopted on the road leading from the Mississippi Valley to California. The wagons, by stopping at a post each night, could be protected, which would secure us permanently.

To complete this communication with Kentucky, a guard of Indians or other soldiers would be necessary to pass from post to post, and an old-fashioned block-house should be built at such post to protect our troops against sudden emergencies.

The present prices of salt produce the necessity of putting in operation the Goose Creek salt-works, where coal is in convenient distance to the salt works, and carting a few hundred yards completes the connection between the salt-works and fuel. But there is another advantage to be anticipated. It will secure the control of the article of salt in the hands of Government agents. That is worth more than 5,000 troops. Besides, it will secure a communication with Southern Kentucky to be kept open, which will facilitate trade in beef, bacon, &c., of much advantage to us. We need their breadstuffs, bacon, beef, &c.

Yours, truly,
WM. H. THOMAS,

Colonel, Commanding Legion of Indians and Highlanders.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT Numbers 2,

Numbers 145.
Knoxville, November 8, 1862.

I. In pursuance of an act of the Congress of the Confederate States, approved October 13, 1862, entitled "An act to relieve the army of disqualified, disabled, and incompetent officers," and examining board will convene at the headquarters of the Second Corps of the Army of the Mississippi on the 15th day of November, 1862, or as soon thereafter as practicable, for the examination of such general officers as may be brought before it.

Detail for the board: Lieutenant General William J. Hardee, Major General S. B. Buckner, Major-General Donelson.

The commander of the Second Army Corps will detail a recorder for the board.

II. Commandants of regiments, battalions, and unattached companies will promptly send to these headquarters a statement of the strength, both present and absent, of their respective commands, for the purpose of being forwarded to the commandants of proper camps of instruction