Unknown, February 3, 1864

No. 13. Richmond, February 3, 1864.

I. In the event of the loss of company records and the consequent inability of the commanding officers to certify the.efrom the clothing accounts of soldiers, said accounts may be stated from memory, provided such statements are supported by the affidavits of the soldiers interested.

IJ. When, from the casualties of war, companies have been entirely deprived of their officers, in the adjustment of clothing accounts the affidavit of the soldier, together with those of two of his comrades, will be esteemed sufficient evidence to authorize a settlement with him if the statement shall be approved by the regimental commander.

III. Hereafter the articles of clothing issued during the year will be stated opposite the name of each soldier, upon the muster-roll of his company, at the annual settlement directed in General Orders, No. 100, Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, December 8, 1862.

IV. The attention of company commanders is called to the requirements of the above-quoted general orders. By failing to account for clothing received by them for issue to their men they render themselves liable to be charged with its value, and a stoppage of their pay to the amount.

V. From and after the 1st of February, 1864, instead of supplying company commanders with clothing for their men, officers of the Quartermaster’s Department will issue to the soldier upon the requisition of his immediate commanding officer.

VI. In making payments to soldiers upon descriptive lists, officers of the Quartermaster’s Department will be careful to indorse thereon the amounts paid and the time for which they have been paid, returning the same to them for delivery to their company commanders and filing with their accounts a certified copy thereof.

By order: , S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General. UNOFFICIAL. ATLANTA, February 4, 1864.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.: My Dear Sir: I have recently taken the liberty of attending several public meetings, which I have addressed on the subject of furnishing men and provisions for the Army. I have done so without

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interfering with my official duties, as I have only gone to such points as I could reach and return within two days.

From these interviews with the people I have learned some important and encouraging facts which I have thought would not be uninteresting to you. In the first place, I am satisfied that the supply of meat in the country is much beyond what I had supposed it would be. I could give you details, but it is unnecessary, to show even the bestinformed citizens have been greatly at fault in estimating the quantity of meat that could be got in their immediate neighborhood.

The people need information as to the wants of the Army and the necessity of economy, sacrifices, and energy on their part. If they could be addressed in the right way in every county in the Confederacy, I have no doubt that provisions enough could be got to feed our whole Army, though we got no meat from abroad.

The members of Congress who have nothing else to do could render incalculable aid in this matter if they could be induced to make the right kind of addresses to the people. Better, though, that they should stay at Richmond doing nothing than to transfer to public meetings their wranglings and complainings. That is not what is wanted; we have enough of that without their assistance. The other important fact that I have learned is that our resources of men are far beyond what I had supposed.

In illustration of this fact let me mention some statements made to me. You are aware that under the militia law of the last Legislature the Governor was directed to enroll all our men between sixteen and sixty who are not subject to conscription or in the Confederate service. In one county the State enrolling officer says that his rolls will show that there are more men now in the county between the ages of eighteen and forty-five than have been sent from the county to the war, though the county has done as well as other counties in the State. I could not believe the statement, but he insists it is so, and refers to the details, the mechanics, exempts of all kinds, and counts up large numbers certainly. In another county the State enrolling officer (who I know very well) informed me that he had enrolled 900 men (not including three companies of Georgia State Guard), and that one-half of them were fit for any military service and another fourth fit for localduty. In another district, including three counties, the enrolling officer has now on his rolls over 2,000 men.

I give you these facts as interesting and encouraging evidence of the great resources of our country. It only requires to be brought out, and the best mode of doing it is the great question of the hour. Much—very much—can be done in the way I have suggested if the men capable of arousing the people can be induced to undertake the work.

I regret that I differ so widely from the policy you have determined upon for filling up the Army, but it will not affect my conduct. I shall labor as hard to carry it out as I should have done to carry out my own policy. I must repeat, however, that I think it was a fatal mistake not to allow the formation of new organizations. If that policy had been adopted I believe I could have raised an army in Georgia of 10,000 men. As it is, you will get not one-fifth that number, and them of dissatisfied and discontented men.

It is, however, now too late, and my duty and pleasure will be to labor the more earnestly to overcome difficulties and aid in filling up the Army.

With sentiments of sincere regard, your friend,

Richmond, Va., 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,

Secretary of War.

*See proposition of Hastings, Series I; Vol. L, Part II, p. 721.

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[FEBRUARY 4, 1854.—For Vance to Davis, in relation to the publication of correspondence on the subject of peace negotiations with the enemy, see Series I, Vol. LI, Part II, p. 817. ]