Forrest, and now commanded by Colonel Bell. I had actually mustered and armed Greer's and Newsom's regiments and ordered them back to WEST Tennessee under Colonel Bell to protect the regiments then nearly completed by Wilson, Kizer, and Faulkner. The arms were furnished me by General Bragg for that purpose. I was raising the troops by the express authority of General Johnston, the then department commander. The order of the President now confirms the authority granted by General Johnston. When General Forrest went into WEST Tennessee he ordered these troops out with him, leaving many of the men behind getting up horses and preparing for the field, and he subsequently blended the regiments together in disregard of my rights and of the authority of the officers, and formed them into a command for himself. General Polk recognized my right to these troops, but said he would give me others in their place. But he did not do so. I believe General Forrest to be my friend, and do not think he would do me intentional injustice. My opinion is that if the facts were brought to his attention, and the order of the Government made known to him, he would promptly repair the injustice he has done me by organizing into a command for himself troops being raised by me for myself. But if in this I should be mistaken, then I respectfully call upon General Lee (as his superior officer and the successor of General Polk), before whom I place the order of the Government for execution, to do me justice by embracing Bell's brigade, or some other, in any order organior me. These regiments are not all now under the officers whose names are mentioned above. General Forrest, as I have been informed, disregarded the rights of those officers I had authorized to raise them, blending some of the regiments and setting aside the officers, and assigning others to command them in some cases. I placed them all under Colonel Bel, and directed him, organizations were completed, to bring them out of the enemy's lines and report to me. I have no means of knowing who now commands them, but of the identity of the troops there can be no dispute. I am not disposed to be captious about this particular brigade. I only want a respectable command, and will be content with such as the major-general commanding may assign me. I have only the three small regiments, to wit, Armistead's, Ball's, and Thomas'. In a former communication I explained to General Lee the difficulty I had in getting the companies of the regiments together, to which I again invite his attention. I do not address him this letter from any discontent with the course he has adopted in reference to myself, or from the apprehension that he will not do me justice. I have the fullest confidence that he will, but I feel that he should have all the facts before him, and may know the justice of the case. These are so clear that if objections should be made they will be silenced by reference to the facts and this order of the President.

Respectfully,

GID. J. PILLOW,

Brigadier-General, C. S. Army.

[First indorsement.]

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF ALA., MISS., AND EAST LA.,
Columbus, Miss., June 19, 1864.

Respectfully referred to Major-General Forrest for his statement in connection with the subject of this communication.

By command of Major-General Lee:

WILLIAM ELLIOTT,

Assistant Adjutant-General.