A. M. Paxton to A. H. CoLez, January 30, 1864

Lieut. Col. A. H. CoLez, Inspector-General, &c., Richmond, Va. :

COLONEL: Although so far as I am aware my general letters on the affairs of my district never reach you, yet I will continue to advise you, hoping they may turn up. Lat last begin to see my way to realize the resources within my reach. If you will glance at the map, with the suggestion that in the interior there is an abundance of corn, und the stock is in good order and better cared for than it could be by the Government, and that it is nearly all required for the production of food, and should not be demanded by the Government unless upon a fair canvass of what is most required—food or mules. In addition to this it is always within reach of the Government, and by June 1, 1864, the corn crop will be made. I have located Capt. L. B.

Mitchell at Courtland, Ala., in connection with General Roddey’s cavalry, with agents in the enemy’s lines. A quartermaster at Okolona is acting as my purchasing agent in all matters that arise around that point. Maj. W. S. Harris is at Panola, Miss., with agents on Mississippi River and in West Tennessee moving with Forrest’s cavalry. Capt. C. A. Manlove is stationed at Tchula, Miss., with agents running in to Mississippi River. Capt. Wilkes Henry is stationed at Port Gibson, with agents in and around Vicksburg. At Woodville, Miss., I have Capt. H. F. Cook, with agents on Mississippi River down to Lake Maurepas. Upon my personal application to General Polk, he assigned Capt. E. T. Henry for the charge of my recruiting stables in Alabama. My instructions to my quartermasters are to select the most respectable and energetic men, exempt from military service, as their agents, with instructions to canvass every plantation and buy every mule, the quartermaster traveling through every part of his district and conferring at home with his agents, seeing for himself and aiding and advising his agents, requiring them to report in writing and verbally. By this means I am accomplishing something, and will certainly meet requisitions from my own district, which are much increased by the organization of new regiments by General Forrest and others, and by having requisitions already filled for Georgia. I have been notified already of arrival at a safe place of 140 mules from North Alabama and 150 from near Baton Rouge.

Respectfully,