that General Hardee does not feel authorized to receive them. I have said to him that I needed and would receive them. I cannot, as you are aware, move without additional force. Hardee himself says that I ought not to attempt an advance with less than 10,000 men. I would be glad to have you at once and promptly order up the Arkansas troops. The position I occupy here protects Arkansas from invasion by the river and through Chalk Bluff. It is therefore but right and proper that those forces should be send here. The authority of the Confederate Government to Colonel Johnson to receive these troops is full and complete, and being under the absolute necessity of having additional forces for the work before me, I have told Johnson to river the case to you, and hope you will as promptly as possible order them up.

The Missouri forces are in the most inefficient possible condition. The authorities of the State have no funds, no means of subsisting the forces of the State; they have no regular organization of staff officers; they have no means of subsistence except such as is taken by them from the inhabitants of the country. There is no one authorized to give certificates for these seizures, and if this system of illegal seizures should be kept up, it will turn the feelings of the best friends of the South in the country against our cause. But, independent of this, it will be impossible to keep the Missouri forces in the field; they will disband, and in their present condition I would not blame them for doing so.

To obviate this difficulty I have determined to accept any of these troops who will accept service in the Confederate Army for and during the war.

I do not believe the information you received from Columbus is correct, and I have sent up by the river and armed steamer to report me the truth. I saw a man this morning from Wolf Island, which is in sight of Columbus, who says the report is incorrect. The enemy have thrown out a large force to the neighborhood of Charleston, and are repairing out a large force to the neighborhood of Charleston, and are repairing my burnt road; they have several thousand men out there, and about 1,500 men at york, 6 miles down the river from Cairo.

I have addressed you several dispatches, to which I invite your attention, so that I may know how to shape my course. If there is no prospect of my forward I should know it, and cease my efforts to get transportation, and save the expense of subsisting so large a number of animals. This is a very heavy item of expense. I retain the Ingomar here for the present to bring across and up to this place Colonel Smith's battery, which you advised me you had ordered up here.

GID. J. PILLOW,

General, Commanding.

P. S.-Since writing the above, I have seen a gentleman that left Columbus yesterday, and says there are no troops there and everything is quiet.

LITTLE ROCK, August 10, 1861.

Major-General POLK:

We have seven regiments completely organized. They are supplied with the domestic rifle, some of them sufficiently improved to be highly efficient. They are at the following places: Arkadelphia, 250 miles of Pocahontas; Benton, 200 miles of Pocahontas; Pine Bluff, 200 miles of Pocahontas; Springfield, 140 miles of Pocahontas; Yellville, 120 miles of Pocahontas; Jacksonport, 40 miles of Pocahontas.

The one at Yellville is a local defense, and probably ought not to be moved. To the rest of them we will issue such orders as you suggest.