▁of ▁Tennessee . ▁Davis ▁immediately ▁appointed ▁Lee ▁to ▁the ▁position , ▁but ▁refused ▁to ▁restore ▁John ston . ▁In ▁a ▁length y ▁un pub lished ▁mem o , ▁Davis ▁wrote , ▁" My ▁opinion ▁of ▁General ▁John ston ' s ▁un fit ness ▁for ▁command ▁has ▁rip ened ▁slowly ▁and ▁against ▁my ▁incl in ations ▁into ▁a ▁conv iction ▁so ▁settled ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁impossible ▁for ▁me ▁again ▁to ▁feel ▁confidence ▁in ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁an ▁army ▁in ▁the ▁field ." ▁Vice ▁President ▁Alexander ▁H . ▁Steph ens ▁and ▁ 1 7 ▁sen ators ▁pet ition ed ▁Lee ▁to ▁use ▁his ▁new ▁authority ▁to ▁appoint ▁John ston , ▁by pass ing ▁Davis , ▁but ▁the ▁general ▁in ▁chief ▁decl ined . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁recommended ▁the ▁appointment ▁to ▁Davis . ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁serious ▁mis giv ings , ▁Davis ▁restored ▁John ston ▁to ▁active ▁duty ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁His ▁new ▁command ▁compr ised ▁two ▁military ▁depart ments : ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁Georgia , ▁and ▁Florida , ▁and ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁Southern ▁Virginia ; ▁he ▁assumed ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁latter ▁department ▁on ▁March ▁ 6 . ▁These ▁commands ▁included ▁three ▁Confeder ate ▁field ▁arm ies , ▁including ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁once ▁form id able ▁Army ▁of ▁Tennessee , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁arm ies ▁in ▁name ▁only . ▁The ▁Tennessee ▁army ▁had ▁been ▁sever ely ▁de ple ted ▁at ▁Franklin ▁and ▁Nash ville ,