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

the President's consent, appointed him first lieutenant of artillery. This appointment is in the permanent army, and has, therefore, much more value than a captaincy in the Provisional Army. We are, however, as a general rule, making no appointments in the Regular Army from civil life, and under the acts of Congress cannot appoint any officers in the Provisional Army except to command troop.s We can appointed field officers to troops, but have no commissions to give in any other manner. This is not generally understood-hence repeated requests which we are unable to gratify. If increased rank is necessary to enable Lieutenant Rucker to command such troops as you wish to put under him, we can, after thus having made him an officer in the permanent army, give him temporary increased rank under the act of Congress Numbers 155, approved May 21, 1861.

Your obedient servant,

J. P. BENJAMIN, Acting Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A., ORDNANCE OFFICE, Richmond, Va., November 4, 1861.

HonorableJ. P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to report, in answer to General Zollicoffer's telegram, that three 8-inch siege howitzers have been sent to Cumberland Gap for General Zollicoffer; four 8-inch siege howitzers to Columbus, Ky., for General Polk; four 32-pounders to Bowling Green, Ky., for General Johnston. There are no more guns ready to be sent at present.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. GORGAS, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Chief of Ordnance.

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT, Bowling Green, November 4, 1861.

HonorableJ. P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War, C. S.:

SIR: Herewith I have the honor to transmit for your information a letter from Governor Harris, inclosing one from Mr. C. Wallace, imparting information with regard to the political sentiments of the people of East Tennessee, which he represents as extremely hostile to the Confederate Government, and that there is amount them a large and well-armed force ready to ct at an opportune moment. I have already ordered Stanton's and Murray's regiments and some cavalry companies from their stations in Fentress, Overton, and Jackson Counties to Jamestown, to join seven cavalry companies at that place, thence to report and await the orders of General Zollicoffer, who has been notified; also ordered General Walkerk's brigade forward and any troops who might be at the rendezvous at Knoxville. General Walker replied that his brigade was unarmed. There is no other available force under my orders with which to re-enforce General Zollicoffer.

I have, in accordance with your orders, ordered the disbandment of all the unarmed troops that have or may be en route to the rendezvous under the call of the governors of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, retaining only the armed portion, which, I presume, is but a small