T. H. Holmes to L. P. WALKER, Secretary of War, June 28, 1861

Hon. L. P. WALKER, Secretary of War: Sim: Pursuant to your instructions, received last night, I dispatched Colonel Bate, with the effective force of his regiment present, to support _ Commander Lewis, C. S. Navy. I consider the command (about. four hundred) unnecessarily strong, as Colonel Bate is positively ordered to take no part in the expedition on the water. I sincerely hope your excellency will not consider me extra cautious in this matter, for when we consider that an indispensable requisite to success would be the absolute concealment of three hundred or four hundred men on a comparatively small steamer, and those men untrained volunteers, and that this is only one of several other contingencies equally difficult to be reconciled, it seems to me that success would be miraculous. t I am, sir,

very respectfully, your obedient servant,