James A. Seddon to E. K. Smith, February 4, 1864

General E. K. SMITH: GENERAL: This will be handed you by Judge L. W. Hastings, late of California, who has received from the President a commission as major to raise troops in Arizona, and been authorized to proceed in the execution of the plan for the recruitment of troops in California or Arizona, and the occupation of the latter as far as practicable, which was referred by you to the consideration of the Department. * It is not contemplated to expend in the scheme a larger sum of money than can be conveniently raised by the exportation of some few hundred bales of cotton into Mexico, which will be managed by Major Hart or some other officer you may intrust with the duty. With the proceeds, which should be enough to furnish Major Hastings with some $10,000 or $12,000 in specie funds, and likewise to forward from the port in Mexico the recruits who may be induced to engage in the enterprise to some rendezvous in Arizona, Major Hastings and a disbursing officer, to be selected by yourself, will go to the selected port. There the disbursing officer will remain on some plausible pretext, while Major Hastings will proceed to California. He is confident of his ability to engage 500 or more men, ostensibly as miners, to come out, armed and equipped at their own expense, and to report to the officer left: in Mexico, on the pledge that they will be paid for their arms and equipments and forwarded to the point of rendezvous. They should, of course, preserve throughout the character of a mining association and be careful to do no act violative of neutrality with Mexico, or to so muster and collect as to raise the suspicions of the emissaries of the enemy who may be in Mexico. When assembled in sufficient numbers they will proceed to Arizona and commence their operations for the seizure and occupation of the country. It would be well if men were procured freely from California that some able and enterprising officer of superior rank to Major Hastings should be selected and sent by you to command the expedition. Meantime, when men begin to come in from California so as to afford a reasonable prospect of success, a selected few of them, or some other special agents acquainted with Arizona, should be sent forward into that Territory to engage co-operation and prepare the friends of the South for action at the proper time. I must rely on you to select the proper assistants and officers in this matter, or to commit it to some officer on whom you can rely. I should be pleased if a gentleman of the known character and spirit of Judge Terry would undertake its guidance. While the loyalty and general intelligence of Major Hastings are appreciated, it is felt that he has little military experience, and is rather to be relied on to recruit and get men from California than to conduct and execute the whole plan. You will give to Major Hastings full instructions as to his course of procedure. I cannot well do so without knowing how far you can command means and may deem it advisable to unite others with him in the performance of his proposed duties. Well conducted, I believe the plan expedient and feasible, but much must depend on the discretion, intelligence, and enterprise of the selected agent. Very truly, yours,

JAMES A. SEDDON,