HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
Bowling Green, Ky.,
December 30, 1861.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN,
Secretary of War C. S.:

SIR:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 22d instant.

The enemy have made no forward movement since my last communication, nor have I any information of any change in the position of their troops since then. The positions of our troops as heretofore indicated remain unchanged, except the substitution of Biffle’s battalion of Tennessee cavalry for the Eighth Regiment Texas Cavalry (late Terry’s), which it was necessary to withdraw to rest and improve the condition of their horses and put the regiment in a better condition. They have been reduced to less than half their original number by deaths, sickness, &c. Their ranks at their new camp, 10 miles south of this, will fill up rapidly by the men returning to duty from the hospital.

I have this morning received the Treasurer’s draft for $16,000, in addition to $5,000 heretofore received.

In explanation of the ambiguons telegram received by you, I have to say that the number of troops mentioned were intended to indicate all that could possibly be available for any movement against the enemy after leaving a force for the defense of this place, about 5,000, which, from the extended circuit of our works, is too small. They require a large force to support them. The troops from Columbus are beginning to arrive, viz: Colonel Martin’s First Mississippi,* 496 aggregate; Colonel Williams’ Twenty-seventh Tennessee, 580 aggregate; Colonel Schaller’s Twenty-second Mississippi, 519 aggregate; Major Hardcastle’s Mississippi battalion, three companies, 235 aggregate; Captain Miller’s
company (I), artillery, 70 aggregate; Captain Brien’s company, 120 aggregate; Captain Hunt’s company, 79; 2,099 total aggregate. These troops are now encamped here. My force is about 19,000, of all arms.

I inclose to you, I do not doubt, an accurate statement of the troops unuder General Buell’s command, brought to me the day before yesterday fromn Louisville. It was much defaced, but the most important matter is legible. I also inclose copy of telegramn fromn General Clark, stationed at Hopkinsville, reporting a conflict between a detachment of Colonel Forrest’s cavalry and a cavalry force of the enemny on the 28th instant, which resulted in the defeat of the enemy, as detailed in the telegram.**

Colonel Bowen has just arrived with part of his own regiment, the First Missouri. The remainder of his regiment and division (Ninth and Tenth Arkansas Regiments) will arrive by to-morrow night.

With great respect, your obedient servant,
A. S. JOHNSTON,
General, C. S. Army.

[Inclosure A.]

Memorandum of the number and name of regiments arrived and to arrive in this department.

Thirty-third Indiana, Seventeenth Ohio, Twelfth Kentucky, Thirty-eighth Ohio, Fourth Kentucky, Fourteenth Ohio, Tenth Indiana., Tenth Kentucky, Eighteenth U. S. Infantry, Second Minnesota, Thirty-fifth and Ninth Ohio, Sixth Indiana, First Ohio, Fifth Kentucky, Fifteenth and Nineteenth U. S. Infantry, Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Indiana, Thirty-fourth Illinois, Seventy-seventh, Seventy-eighth, and Seventy-ninth Pennsylvania, Thirty-ninth and Thirty-second Indiana, Fifteenth and Forty-ninth Ohio, Thirty-eighth Indiana, First Wisconsin, Nineteenth Illinois, First Michigan, Fifteenth and Thirteenth Kentucky, Tenth and Eighteenth Ohio, Twenty-fourth Illinois, Thirty-seventh Indiana Thirty-third Ohio, Tenth Wisconsin, Twenty-first, Third, and Sixth Ohio, Thirty-sixth Indiana, Twenty-fourth Ohio, Thirty-fourth Indiana, Second and Fifty-ninth Ohio, Ninth and First Kentucky, First and Second Tennessee, Sixth Kentucky, Thirty-first Ohio, Thirty-first Indianana, Seventeenth Kentucky, Forty-fourth, Forty -second, and Forty-third Indiana, Eleventh Kentucky, Seventeenth and Fifteenth Indiana, Forty-first and Fifth Ohio, Third Minnesota, Fourteenth Kentucky, Forty-ninth Indiana, and Eleventh Michigan.

The above are already here.

To arrive:
Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh, Fiftieth, and Thirty-fifth Indiana, Forty-eighth Forty-fourth, Sixteenth, Fortieth (in Lexington), and Forty-second Ohio, Fifty-first Indiana, First and Fourth Ohio Cavalry, Forty-first Indiana, and six regiments and squadrons of cavalry, one battery
(six pieces), thirteen battalions of artillery, and about five or six more Kentucky regiments not yet consolidated will make three or five full regiments.

Arrived since above was taken from General Buell’s books:
Sixty-fourth Ohio (ordered to Paris), Fifty-second Ohio, Second and Fifth Ohio Cavalry, and First Ohio Battery.
We consider the effective force of the Department of the Cumberland to amount to 73,000 men.

DEAR _________ :
The above has been written by a. friend under my supervision, and you can depend upon the information, as the bearer can tell you how it was obtained, and from my association and acquaintance I think I can give you almost any information you want at any time. If you receive any communications signed Rex they will be reliable.

Our cause is steadily gaining here, and we feel very sanguine as to the success of your division. There is a great deal of sickness anmong Federal soldiers—some little small-pox, though not much; mostly diarrhea, typhoid fever, and measles. There are seventeen hospitals here and about 3,000 patients in them. While writing, the Sixty-fifth Ohio passes down street—about 610 men, besides officers. The hospitals are so full here they are sending a great many sick to Cincinnati. Your family and friends are well. I will try and send you a paper very often. There are eight regiments at Lebanon and six at Columbia. Manson moves to-day, 20th December, to Glasgow (this is certainly reliable) with 25,000 men. It is thought by best-informed friends here that Zollicoffer should be heavily re-enforced, so as to break their backbone. Watch Big Hatchie and Obion Bridges, on Memphis Branch. Men left Cincinnati last night for the avowed purpose of burning them. This and all I write is reliable, as Charley Johnson can tell, from whom he borrowed a vest on mail-boat. * * * It is said that 25,000 or
30,000 reserve forces are in Washington that could be thrown into Kentucky . * * * *

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, CENTRAL AnMY,
Bowling Green,
December 30, 1861.

Col. W. W. MACKALL, Assistant Adjutant- General:
This information was obtained from the books of General Buell. As relates to the number and names of regiments it is beyond a doubt reliable. Since receiving it, I have had occasion to compare the list with partial lists contained in the letters of various correspondents of the
Northern papers in reference to the troops at Columbia; at Crab Orchard, in the command of General Schoepf; at Lexington, and in General Nelson’s force. In every instance I have found the regiments alluded to in those letters mentioned in the inclosed list.

Respectfully,
S. B. BUCKNER,
Brigadier- General, Commanding Second Division.

* Probably Twenty-fifth Mississippi, afterwards known as the Second Confederate
Regirnent.
** Not found, but see p. 64.