CHAP.XII.] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - CONFEDERATE.

I return to Nashville to-night; shall be pleased to hear from you as to your policy on Tennessee River, and shall avoid any conflict of orders.

We have in Middle Tennessee some unattached cavalry and rifle companies. Captain Stockton refuses to muster them as unattached companies or to attach them to regiments and battalions which already have their full number of companies. They are a part of the Provisional Army of Tennessee, and must be mustered the one way or the other. You will please order him by telegraph to muster them, and I would prefer being left to determine myself as to whether they be mustered as companies or attached to other organizations. Send dispatch to my care.

I shall proceed rapidly with organization of reserve corps. No power to order militia to drill oftener than specified by law unless I order them out for actual service. This would involve an expense quite unnecessary, as we could not make then useful for want of arms. I hope, however, to be able very soon to give you efficient aid with the reserve corps, which I shall arm as rapidly as it is possible to do so.

Very respectfully,

ISHAM G. HARRIS.

ORDNANCE OFFICE AT MEMPHIS, August 12,1861.

Major-GEneral POLK:

SIR: If this war should unfortunately be prolonged, the valley of the Mississippi must ultimately become its great theater, for the enemy now working to subjugate the South knows the value of our great artery of commerce and of the prominent cities upon it too well for us to doubt that he will bend all his energies to control them. To prepare for such a defense as may be commensurate with the interests involved, we may have to invoke all the resources of this valley, and I feel satisfied that they are amply adequate to the emergency.

You now have in the section under your command, already finished and to be finished in the next 30 days, 75 field guns of various caliber, and I beg you will allow me to suggest and recommend that 50 batteries, of 6 guns each, be put into the field as early as possible.

To effect this, it will be best to send agents to Vicksburg, Jackson, New Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery, Huntsville, and Nashville, to make contracts for, say, 165 field pieces and howitzers. Sixty field pieces can be contracted for at this place, one battery to be finished per week. I would recommend that the batteries be composed of the following guns: Two 6 pounder field pieces; two 12-pounder rifled Parrott guns; one 12-pounder howitzer; one 24-pounder howitzer; making a total of 74 6-pounder field pieces; 74 12-pounder Parrott guns, rifled; 37 12-pounder howitzers; 37 24-pounder howitzers.

For the moving of this artillery we shall require 2,500 sets of artillery harness; 225 gun carriages, and 225 caissons; 38 battery wagons, and 38 battery forges.

The cost will be, for-

225 field pieces, at $600 each..................... $135,000 225 gun carriages, at $400 each.................... 90,000 225 caissons, at $375 each......................... 84,375 2,500 sets of harness, at $50 per horse............ 125,000 37 battery wagons, at $400 each.................... 14,800 37 battery forges, at $450 each.................... 16,650 Tools, &c., for same............................... 50,000 --------- 515,825

25 R R-VOL IV