Austin I thought advisable to order east, for reasons which Your Excellency no doubt appreciates, as the order was principally the result of a communication from Your Excellency to General Bee. Should Your Excellency think it advisable, I can order a mounted battalion from the east to Austin. Colonel Ford appears to think such a force very necessary. Please advise me in regard to this. The battalion is a good one, composed of brave, true, and loyal men, and can march at once.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. O. HEBERT,

Brigadier-General, Provisional Army.

RICHMOND, VA., September 2, 1862.

Brigadier General H. E. MCCULLOCH,

Commanding, Tyler, Tex.:

GENERAL: I am instructed by the Secretary of War to inform you, in reply to your communication of July 28, that the War Department has ordered 18,000 stand of arms, 20 pieces of artillery, and a supply of ammunition to the Trans-Mississippi Department; that 10,000 stand, with the artillery and ammunition, must be now crossing the Mississippi; that $18,000 have been sent to Texas and $14,000,000 to Arkansas, an that a list of the persons who receive the money will be sent to General Holmes, in order that it may be accounted for.

I am, general, very respectfully, &c.,

J. S. WHITING,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

VELASCO, TEX., September 4, 1862.

Captain C. M. MASON,

A. A. A. G., Trans-Miss. Dist., South of Red River,

San Antonio, Tex.:

SIR: I desire again to call the attention of the commanding general to fact that this post is unprovided with any gun larger than an 18-pounder smooth-bore. I will repeat that in my opinion there is not a more important point upon the Gulf to be defended, a large negro population of many thousands being immediately in the rear of my position in this and adjoining counties. Three engagements had with the enemy at this point only tend to confirm my opinion that any demonstration on this portion of the coast should be resisted a its inception. This cannot be done with success without I am furnished with a piece or pieces of heavy ordnance. I have so often urged this view of matters that I hesitate to do so now for fear of an intrusion, and wold say no more upon the subject; but knowing as well as I do the absolute want of a better kind of ordnance than I possess, with two more guns for my light artillery and at least 100 more muskets, with bayonets, rifles, or shot-guns, to complete the arming of my force, I am prompted to forward this communication, hoping that it may be more successful than former ones. This I urge, to enable me, of possible, while I have the honor to command at this place, to keep the Yankees and negroes from uniting in the midst of a population which