Unknown to W. R. Boaes, May 29, 1863

Brig. Gen. W. R. Boaes, Chief of Staff for Lieutenant-General Smith :

GENERAL: I desire to invite the attention of the lieutenant-general commanding to General Orders, No. 82, series of 1862, Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, Richmond, which directs commanders of conscripts west of the Mississippi to report and receive iustructions from the commanding general of the Trans-Mississippi Department, and to report that on my arrival here I found many men subject to conscrip- tion who had not been enrolled, and many who threatened rebellion against the law, which has since been openly resisted.

Instances of the bribery of enrolling officers have also been reported to me and substantiated by indisputable evidences. Major [J. P.] Flewellyn, the late commandant of couscripts, finding it impossible to enforce the law properly without a more immediate co-operation of the line of the army than is directed by the order above cited, recommended to Brigadier-General [G. J.] Rains, chief of bureau, that he be allowed to report to and receive instructions from the general commanding the district.

I joined in this recommendation, and offered to assume the responsibility of executing the will of Congress here, if authority was granted me, because it was manifest that the officers who were acting were too remote from the general to whom they reported.

It will probably be months before this application will be heard from again, and I would state to the lieutenant-general commanding that lam willing to take charge of the bureau of conscription in my own district, and be answerable for its administration, if so ordered by him. Major Flewellyn has since tendered his resignation, and requested me to relieve him from duty. While it was being considered, 1 took the liberty of granting his request, and assigning Col. John S. Ford (an officer of great merit) to that important command. Colonel Ford’s rank in the army was at the time the subject of discussion, which had been referred to the honorable the Secretary of War, but Colonel [J. C.] Ives, aide-decamp to His Excellency the President, has since, by order, -confirmed him in the position to which he had been assigned.

In consideration of the circumstances, I would respectfully suggest that if Colonel Ford be directed by the lieutenant-general commanding to report to and receive instructions from these headquarters, the act of couscription would be better enforced, especially in the disaffected portion of the State, where he must invoke the aid of my troops.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,