MERIDIAN, January 11, 1864.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General:

I am advised the enemy has made a landing at Madisonville, on the lake shore in Louisiana, cavalry, artillery, and infantry; in all, about 2,000. The object is supposed to be to cut timber to build dry-dock in New Orleans, as a means of constructing light gun-boats for lake service. We have many men out of service in the parishes of East Louisiana. Colonel J. S. Scott, of Scott's cavalry, whose resignation you informed me had been accepted, and whose regiment was raised in those parishes, if at the head of that regiment and in that field, could render me very great service, both in absorbing unemployed material and breaking up the operations of the enemy. His regiment is now a mere skeleton, acting as escorts to generals in the Army of Tennessee. If not inconsistent with the views of the Department, I should be glad to have him recommissioned and his regiment sent to report to me for duty.

L. POLK,

Lieutenant-General.

[First indorsement.]

Adjutant-General, for statement on the case presented by the application for Colonel Scott and regiment.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

[Second indorsement.]

Colonel Scott was colonel of First Louisiana Cavalry and resigned October 8, 1863. Most of the regiment was captured just before the battle of Chickamauga. The few not captured are serving in Army of Tennessee.

S. COOPER.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPT., No. 2. Shreveport, La., January 11, 1864.

The attention of the department commander has been called to the number of deserters and absentees who are reported to be crossing the Mississippi River into this department. They are appealed to return to their commands without delay. District commanders and enrolling officers will take steps to arrest and send to their commands all officers and men who have come into, and have remained in, this department without lawful military authority since the fall of Vicksburg.

By command of Lieutenant General E. Kirby Smith:

S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST LOUISIANA, Alexandria, January 11, 1864.

Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS,

Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that instructions have been sent to General Mouton to examine the road from Monroe down the Ouachita to Trinity, with a view to moving his command in that direc-