An inspector general’s report of the condition of the Army of Tennessee at Tupelo was that it was little more than an unarmed mob. The only equipment most soldiers had was the clothes they wore. Virtually all of the horses, mules & vehicles were lost or abandoned. Entire regiments were reduced to low double digits of men present. The remnant of the A of TN was concentrated at Tupelo because that was where a depot had been established & they could get something to eat. PDSD must have reached plague proportions.
IIRC, some 18,000 of the AoT that finally reassembled at Tupelo, in January 1865 about 3,000 were sent to reinforce Mobile. Many were given furloughs or simply took "walking furloughs," never to return.
Joe Johnston was returned to command the forces to try and stop Sherman on February 22, 1865. On February 6, 1865, Lee had been appointed General in Chief of all Confederate forces. Lee’s message to Johnston read:
"Assume command of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Assign General Beauregard to duty under you, as you may select. Concentrate all available forces and drive back Sherman."
The first contingent of the Army of Tennessee (Stevenson’s Division of Lee’s Corps) to finally move to intercept Sherman began the long and circuitous trip from Tupelo on January 19, 1865. The men moved by way of patchwork railroads, dilapidated steamboats and marching by foot to finally reach, by February 25, within 80 miles of Charlotte. Although the numbers are still difficult to verify with great accuracy, the Army of Tennessee contingent that would eventually end up once more under the command of Joe Johnston was numbered as follows: Lee’s Corps – about 3,500 men; Stewart’s Corps – 1,200; and Cheatham’s Corps – 1,900 effectives. So in total, the Army of Tennessee was now about the size of an 1862 division (about 6,600 men). Even then, not all the men would be able to concentrate at Bentonville in time to take part in all or parts of the fighting from March 18-21, 1865.