If Lieutenant-General Holmes will allow me to retain Gurley's regiment, reported to be unarmed, I think I will try to arm them.

None of the Arizona Brigade are armed. To these I issued 225 of the enemy's arms, whose garrison I captured here.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JJ. BANKHEAD MAGRUDER,

Major-General, Commanding.

MOBILE, January 9, 1863.

Major-General BUCKNER:

The people of Mobile and the country above as far as Meridian are dependent on the prairie lands of Mississippi for their supply of corn. On the 12th of December, 1862, a military order issued from headquarters at Jackson, Miss., in the following words:

Lieutenant-General Pemberton orders that no more corn for private parties be transported over your road (Mobile and Ohio) within this department till otherwise ordered.

It was said this was designed to stop speculation, but its effect was directly in favor of speculators, as large amounts of corn in their hands at Mobile and at other points immediately advanced in price, thereby increasing the distress of the country. Earnest appeals were made by a suffering people for relief from this order. On the 6th of January, 1863, the following order was received:

JACKSON, MISS., January 6, 1863.

L. J. FLEMING,

General Superintendent Mobile and Ohio Railroad:

Corn for the use of families may be transported when it is satisfactorily shown it is not for speculation.

By order of Lieutenant-General Pemberton:

J. THOMPSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Thereupon the general superintendent published the following order, which it will be seen had in good faith for its object the stoppage of speculation and the supply of the wants of families. The order was as follows:

Corn will be transported on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad in accordance with the order of Lieutenant-General Pemberton upon affidavit filed in my office stating that it is exclusively for family use and not for speculation.

L. J. FLEMING,

Chief Engineer and General Superintendent.

Thereupon the following order issued from headquarters at Jackson:

JACKSON, January 1.

L. J. FLEMING:

Transport no corn on affidavit of private individuals. The quartermaster is the judge whether the produce is for speculation or not.

J. R. WADDY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

To this I sent the following reply:

Major J. R. WADDY,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Jackson, Miss.:

By your order to our superintendent you seem to put private shipments of corn under the control of quartermasters. Please answer if this is your design. I suppose