HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Knoxville, September 29, 1862.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector-General, Richmond, Va.

GENERAL: Before General Bragg left Chattanooga he informed me that about 6,000 or 7,000 exchanged prisoners, then daily expected to arrive at Vicksburg, would be sent to Chattanooga, and he gave instructions as to their organization and disposition. By a telegram received this morning from Brigadier-General Slaughter, at Jackson, Miss., I am informed that General Van Dorn assumes the responsibility of retaining a number of the prisoners pertaining to the quota destined for Chattanooga equal to the number of the prisoners taken there by General Breckinridge. Major-General Breckinridge informs me by telegram from Mobile of the 27th that only 2,000 of the exchanged prisoners were with him en route to Chattanooga, and that he had with him but 3,000 of his own division. Instead, therefore, of sending 6,000 or 7,000 only 2,000 of the exchanged prisoners are ordered to Chattanooga, and General Breckinridge brings only part of his division. General Bragg relied upon Major-General Breckinridge had gone to Holly Springs instead of Chattanooga he directed me to organize an escort from the few troops that were left with me for the purpose of taking the arms into Kentucky, and to assign Brigadier-General Maxey the command of the party.

Desiring myself to supply as far as I could the deficiency in General Bragg's army by the non-arrival of General Breckinridge's command, and relying on the arrival of the exchanged prisoners, then daily expected at Chattanooga, I made Maxey's command larger than I would otherwise have done. I presume it is known at the War Department that Generals Bragg and E. K. Smith have left very few troops in East Tennessee. Most of them are but recently raised, and, so far as I can ascertain, without authority of law, and I think it very desirable that the full quota of the exchanged prisoners designed for this department should be sent to it without delay. I will communicate the information I have from Generals Breckinridge and Slaughter to General Bragg, but the latter is so far in advance that it will be a long time before any orders he may give in the matter can reach their destination. I have therefore thought it proper to communicate the facts of the case, so far as I know them, to you for such action as may be thought necessary.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAML. JONES,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Knoxville, September 29, 1862.

General BRAXTON BRAGG, Commanding in the Field.

GENERAL: I inclose with this a telegram from Slaughter. It was forwarded to me from Chattanooga:

Major-General Breckinridge, a part of whose command is looked for here to-day, telegraph me from Mobile that he has with him but 2,000 of the exchanged prisoners and but 3,000 men of his own division.

I understood from you that some 6,000 or 7,000 of the exchanged prisoners would be sent to Chattanooga, there to be organized and disposed of, and Slaughter telegraphed me on the 19th from Jackson to prepare