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DEMOPOLIS, April 26, 1864.

Major-General LEE,

Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: You will have received before this reaches you the order of the War Department, "restoring you to the command of all the cavalry" of this department, form which it would appear that the wish you were understood by me to have expressed to be relieved of so much as was placed under command of General Forrest has not met with the approbation of the War Department.

I have ordered General Pillow to report to you for duty in the calvary service. He has had assigned to him certain regiments, go constitute a brigade, and will report in a few days. I concur with you in thinking that he merits a division, and shall be pleased to see him placed in command of one. Should there not be troops enough in the brigade he is forming, Roddey, I hear, has four regiments and four battalions. I note what you say of sending Ferguson's brigade in pursuit of stragglers and deserters. I have ordered Major-General French to send an infantry command through all the counties of North Alabama to co-operate with General Ferguson, and I now desire you to give orders to General Roddey to deploy enough of his command along the line of the Tennessee River, as near as he may think proper, to intercept such tories and deserters as may attempt to escape into the enemy's lines that way. The movement of Ferguson and the infantry will drive such of them on to Roddey's troops as are not caught. I desire these movements should be made with vigor, and that they should cover the infected districts thoroughly.

The best results are following upon like operations in the southern counties of Mississippi, and under other commands at work under Forrest, &c., in the north, west, and east of that State. Over 1,000 men have been moved out.

Since writhing the above your dispatch, asking that dismounted men should be assigned to the infantry, has been received. You will receive orders tot hat effect. I hope this assignment will be temporary,a nd these men may be informed that they shall be remounted so soon as horses can be had for them-that is, such as are good soldiers. I note, also, what is said in Jones's report as to the movements of the enemy.

Respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

L. POLK,

Lieutenant-General.

P. S.-You have no doubt heard of the success of Colonel Griffith in the brilliant affair of the gun-boat on the Yazoo. He captured the guns, then burnt it. The Yankee movement of about 3,000 men then retreated and returned to Vicksburg.

P. S.-Your quartermaster, under the authority form Paxtion, should act promptly in pressing horses for your artillery, as orders are out to make impressments for General Johnston's army.

L. P.