SHELBYVILLE, VIA CHATTANOOGA,

May 18, 1863.

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

A brigade of cavalry from Northern Alabama moved to Mississippi several days ago. Another division is ordered to-day.

BRAXTON BRAGG.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF TENNESSEE,

Numbers 132.
Tullahoma, May 18, 1863.

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VII. Cox's Confederate regiment of cavalry is attached to, and will form part of, the brigade of Brigadier-General Martin.

VIII. Colonel Patterson's regiment of cavalry is detached from Brigadier-General Martin's brigade, and will proceed immediately to join Colonel Roddey for duty.

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By command of General Bragg:

H. W. WALTER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA,
Dublin, May 18, 1863.

Major General DABNEY H. MAURY, Knoxville, Tenn.:

GENERAL: I received yesterday your letter of the 28th April, but after the train for Knoxville had passed down, so that I could not answer sooner than now. My letter of the 29th April, however, answered sufficiently yours of the day before.

I have heretofore relied on Brigadier-General Marshall's command to guard the approaches to this line of railroad and the Salt Works within that part of Southwestern Virginia which is in your department. I have no reliable information from General Marshall's command, but am informed, by persons who have seen and conversed with some of his officers, that his command is scattered through Harlan, Letcher, and Perry Counties, Kentucky, and in an extremely disorganized state. Those troops constitute a part of your command, and have been relied on to guard an important section of country, and I think it needs looking after. You have so recently entered on your new command that I trust you will pardon me for venturing to make this suggestion. I do it only because you have not yet had time to inform yourself fully of the condition of your troops, and because the efficiency of that part of your command is essential to the security of the extreme left of my line.

Very respectfully and truly, &c.,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Knoxville, May 18, 1863.

Brigadier General A. E. JACKSON,

Knoxville, Tenn.:

GENERAL: You have been assigned to the command of the force charged with the defenses intended to protect the public works in East