position and conduct would be regulated by the rules of the service applicable to such cases. You will thus perceive that my letter was not intended to bring about the state of affairs apprehended by you.

As to calling out the militia, I requested you in my letter to correspond with General Heth, in order that there might be no conflict in your respective calls. You will receive at once a copy of the order of the Governor, from which you will perceive that the militia of the counties in the section of the State in which you are operating, [are] to report-either to you or General Heth. The intention is that you and General Heth should arrange as to the distribution of these troops among yourselves, the position of your respective commands being such that it was deemed better to leave the matter to you than to undertake the distribution by orders from the Governor.

You are fully authorized to obtain from Kentucky all the troops you can for the war, and may increase your command in that way indefinitely. I regret that at this time your command cannot be increased by any other means than those indicated, but you are aware of the great demand for troops in other quarters of vital importance.

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

R. E. LEE,

General, Commanding.

RICHMOND, VA., March 26, 1862.

General A. SIDNEY JOHNSTON,

Corinth, Miss.:

MY DEAR GENERAL: Yours of the 18th* instant was this day delivered to me by your aide, Mr. Jack. I have read it with much satisfaction. So far as the past is concerned, it but confirms the conclusions at which I had already arrived. My confidence in you has never wavered, and I hope the public will soon give me credit for judgment rather than continue to arraign me for obstinacy.

You have done wonderfully well, and now I breathe easier in the assurance that you will be able to make a junction of your two armies. If you can meet the division of the enemy moving from the Tennessee before it can make a junction with that advancing from Nashville the future will be brighter. If this cannot be done, our only hope is that the people of the Southwest will rally en masse with their private arms, and thus enable you to oppose the vast army which will threaten the destruction of our country.

I have hoped to be able to leave here for a short time, and would be much gratified to confer with you and share your responsibilities. I might aid you in obtaining troops; no one could hope to do more unless he underrated your military capacity. I write in great haste, and feel that it would be worse than useless to point out to you how much depends upon you.

May God bless you, is the sincere prayer of your friend,

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

P. S.-I send you a dictionary, of which I have the duplicate, so that you may communicate with me by cipher, telegraphic or written, as follows: First, give the page by its number; second, the column by the letter L. M. or R. as it may be, in the left-hand, middle, or right-hand

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*See Johnston to Davis, March 18, Series I, Vol. VII, p. 258.

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