Unknown to Hamilton P. Bee, June 25, 1863

Brig. Gen. H. P. BEE, Commanding, &e.:

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 22d instant, and in reply would beg to state that you are under a misapprehension in regard to the inquiry made of you in regard to remaining on the Rio Grande.

In this connection, permit me to say that no charge of disobedience of orders or any reflection of any kind was intended.

In the hurry of business, I omitted to state what would have been an explanation of the whole matter.

The general forwarded by express from time to time as many as four or five communications, beginning with the 1st of June, or thereabouts, expressing a wish that you should remain on the Rio Grande, and was perfectly astounded when he received your communication of the 11th June, from King’s ranch, stating that you had not received a letter from him or order of any kind since bis arrival in Houston. The question of express was fully discussed, with warmth, too, I assure you, and in this connection he bade me at the conclusion of his letter to you to ask you why you had not complied with the orders, &c., with the view of thus determining whether the contractors had performed their duty in carrying the public documents promptly. On finding out from another source that matters were not properly conducted by the express line, he ordered me to cause the contract to be annulled and a new one advertised for.

The major-general commanding, entertaining as he does for you the kindest feelings as well as the highest appreciation of your soldierly qualities, as also of your promptness and alacrity in the discharge of all your duties, would be the last one to intentionally say anything which would imply a disobedience of ordérs by you; far from it, I assure you, general.

The information was desired as evidence against the express line, knowing that his communication should have reached you before the 11th of June.

With good wishes, &c., I am, general,

very respectfully,