HEADQUARTERS,
Demopolis, May 2, 1864.

Major-General LEE,

Tuscaloosa, Ala.:

GENERAL: Since giving you and General Forrest authority to use cotton for the purchase of military supplies, which I had permission to do by telegraph from Richmond, I have received full written instructions. These make it necessary for me to exercise a direct control of that matter. You will, therefore, please inform me what contracts you have made, if any, and with whom. You will also transfer these contracts to department headquarters to be carried out here; the goods to be received by parties appointed by me, and orders for the cotton issued by me. I take occasion to say that this change shall not affect the final disposition of the goods contracted for; they shall go to parties for whose benefit they were to have gone under the original contracts. It is important that this should be attended to immediately.

I remain, respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. POLK,

Lieutenant-General.

OFFICE CHIEF QUARTERMASTER,

ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

May 2, 1864.

Major General S. D. LEE,

Commanding Cavalry:

Your quartermaster, Major Quaite, has applied to me for an assistant to be assigned by him to your headquarters, and to be under your immediate orders in his absence. For many reasons I have given my consent, and ordered Captain Robertson to that duty, and owing to the fact that your command is necessarily scattered over a large extent of country, you are entitled to additional officers of the quartermaster's department. The object of this communication is simply to state that under the regulations at Richmond we are not allowed to get anything for ourselves except forage and whatever else we can find by chance or accident. There is a regular channel which we received (or rather are promised) our stores, and I am sorry to have known that the theory may be good, but yet the practice is a dead failure. In view of this rule, adopted for our guide, I would suggest that the common usage of sending quartermasters all over the country amounts simply to failure in procuring goods, and the services of the officer lost in the field. By your assistance in keeping your quartermasters at their posts, and keeping me thoroughly advised as to your wants and wishes, not only for the public service, but for your personal convenience, you will be supplied to the fullest capacity of our limited means, and the authority given us at the War Department. I will make a request or two. Don't let your quartermasters run about too much, and keep me posted through your quartermaster as to their efficiency. My subordinates must work, and your command, comprising the main force of this department, will occupy most of my time and attention. Nothing in this letter is intended to reflect on your chief quartermaster, for he is personally and officially a stranger to me, but the above is my view of the duties of the quartermaster's department.

Very respectfully,

THOS. PETERS,

Major and Chief Quartermge575 CHASPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

DEMOPOLIS, May 2, 1864.

General CHALMERS,

Oxford:

I am informed that cotton is passing freely into Memphis. Give instructions to your commands to capture and confiscate all wagons and teams found to be engaged in this business, and to be vigilant.

L. POLK,

Lieutenant-General.