OPERATIONS IN TEX., N.MEX.,AND ARIZ. [CHAP.XI.

cient system of the State military organization to which the governor had recourse to supply the troops. He ordered a sufficient number of companies which had reported to him as organized to report to me for the service of this brigade, but the most of these companies had, as it appeared, either entirely disbanded, or their numbers had become diminished below the minimum of the Confederate service. The reliance, therefore, which was placed in this mode of raising the men caused the first serious delay.

In the second place, the designation by the governor of companies organized under the State law operated to deter other companies not so organized from offering their services to me, which many would have done at once but for the opinion, very generally prevalent, that the brigade would be filled by the companies ordered out by the governor. Although at the very earliest day that it became apparent that the companies ordered out by the governor could not be relied on, I at once resorted direct to the people themselves, yet it required some time to counteract the effects of the misplaced reliance upon the State system.

Another source of delay arose from the competition for men which grew out of the calls for the several regiments required for the service east of the Mississippi.

I enumerate these sources of delay simply to explain the unexpected detections which I have encountered, and not as implying any imputations upon any one whatever.

Although I am advancing to the field of duty assigned me with the confident hope of being able to accomplish everything designed there by his excellency the President, yet it is proper that I should state that very great deficiencies still exist in the arms of my troops, notwithstanding every effort on my part to obviate them. Every company reported itself short of arms, and gave the sufficient reason that they were not to be procured in their respective sections, partly in consequence of the great reluctance of the people to allow the serviceable arms to be removed from the State, for the defense of whose coast it was generally believed they would shortly be required. The difficulty thus arising had to be surmounted in some manner. Wherefore, in virtue of the authority delegated to me in the written instructions of his excellency the President, I directed the purchase of serviceable fire-arms and the construction of lances. There not being a dollar in the hands of any of the disbursing officers of my command, I was necessitated to resort to the credit of the Government for these purchases. These liabilities are outstanding, and on the 13th of the present month I inclosed to the Chief of Ordnance the estimates of the funds necessary for their liquidation.

To another matter I desire to invite your attention. Shortly after my arrival here General Van Dorn was relieved from duty as commander of this department, and Colonel Henry E.McCulloch was left in that position. Brigadier-General Hebert came withing the limits of this department, but did not come on to its headquarters and assume the command, but up to very recently left Colonel McCulloch to act in that capacity, so far at least as the depots and military affairs of this place and section were concerned. Major Maclin, assistant quartermaster and acting ordnance officer of this department, left this place to meet General Hebert at Galveston, and still remains there. Colonel McCulloch shortly afterwards also left for the same purpose, and the intelligence was soon returned that he had been relieved of the command of the department by the general. The general has not yet come on here. The consequence of all this is that there is, and for the last two or three