rich coasts and threatening the city of New Orleans. To this we may add that between Baton Rouge and the month of Red River there are several high bluffs favorable for planting batteries and for the movements of artillery and infantry, and protected from any effort to flank them by the enemy.

The country between this and Camp Moore is variously intersected with good roads, affording facilities for early transportation. To save our property and to keep our people from total demoralization on account of the varied efforts by tyranny, forces, and trade on the part of the enemy to seduce them from their allegiance to the Confederate cause, and finally and chiefly in view of the favorable offensive movements that may be made from this section against the enemy, the undersigned, believing that we express the sense of our fellow-citizens, would respectfully urge upon you, and through you upon General Van Dorn, the importance of sending troops to this portion of your district and of planting one or more batteries upon the river.

With assurances of distinguished regard, we remain, your obedient servant,

A. G. CARTER,

JOHN C. MILLER,

Deputy Provost-Marshals.

N. B.-The enemy, in passing down with their gunboats, took the ferry-boat from Bayou Sara.

RICHMOND, VA., July 13, 1862.

General EARL VAN DORN, Vicksburg, Miss.:

Your dispatch of yesterday received. Your gallantry has fulfilled my expectations. Accept my thanks and congratulations for what has been archived. Have ordered more and heaving guns to be furnished to you. What of the gunboat Arkansas? The junction of the departments* arose from no want of confidence, but to render the whole forces most available to the paramount object-the defense of our country.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

JULY 15, [1862.]

General VAN DORN, Vicksburg:

The enemy commits depredations near Baton Rouge, and the disaffection thence to Madisonville is so great that I absolutely need 2,000 more disciplined troops.

The enemy threaten landing at Madisonville. Answer.

DANIEL BUGGLES,

Brigadier-General.

TANGIPAHOA, LA., July 15, 1862.

General VAN DORN, Vicksburg, Miss.:

The inroads of the enemy above Baton Rouge are represented as dis-

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* See special orders of May 26 and June 25, pp. 746,766, and Randolph to Bragg, June 29, p. 770.

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