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

system in moving the State troops we find ourselves almost helpless, unless the masses will come forward and voluntarily enroll themselves at the call of their country. Every exertion should, and I feel fully satisfied will, be made by you to successfully defend the State against every effort of the enemy.

Permit me here to suggest to you that I am possessed of unofficial information that the regiments of Colonels Locke and Maxey are yet within the State, in Upshur County, and preparing to go into winter quarters. These troops are beyond my control. Can you subject them to your orders? The winter can be very profitably spent by them on the coasts; much more so than on Red River. I confess my ignorance on this subject and only suggest it, that you, with your superior knowledge, may take such action as is deemed appropriate. If, however, the power rests in you, I would urge that they be ordered to the coast.

While I am fully aware that it has been the policy of the Government to receive troops only when they enlist "for the war," yet this policy has been in some instances varied from so far as to receive men for twelve months. And I now approach you, sir, for the purpose of obtaining your consent to encroach still further on that policy. If it were not for the peculiar circumstances which surround us, I should not for a moment entertain the idea of placing men in the field on other terms of enlistment than those originally desired by the Government; but, from various causes, it is now very evident that the requisite number of men cannot be obtained to defend the country during the winter, if enlistments for the war are required, or even if men for twelve months are demanded.

The legislature, following the recommendations of the executive, has enacted a stringent law on the subject of the military, and, as soon as an organization can be effected, every able-bodied man in the State will be forced to discharge his duty, if unwilling to do so. But, sir, I am compelled to say that this organization cannot be completed before the danger of an invasion has passed for the present winter.

In view of all the facts and circumstances before me, I suggest, sir, that you receive into the service of the Confederate States, for the term of six months, a sufficient number of men to successfully defend the State; and, for the accomplishment of this purpose, I would further suggest that you make a requisition on the executive for such number of six-months' volunteers as will, in your opinion, be amply able to sustain you in your plans and measures. So far as I am concerned I would much prefer that your requisition should call for more than are necessary than not enough. With such a requisition made on me, stating the number of troops wanted, the arm of service to which they will belong, the term of enlistment, and the places of rendezvous, I feel every confidence that the requisition can be speedily filled with volunteers.

I do not wish to be under the necessity of calling out the State troops as State troops, independent of the military of the Confederate States, which must be my excuse for being urgent in my insisting that you receive six-months' volunteers for the defense of the State. I am fully convinced that one of the two courses must be pursued, either to receive six-months' volunteers into the service for the defense of the State, or else the necessity will devolve on me to call out State troops for that purpose. In the latter case the troops would be in a great measure inefficient for the want of arms, ammunition, and drill, and militia defeats might be the consequence, in addition to the conflicts and want