soon as practicable to take command of Department of East Tennessee, where you will see and relieve General Maury. Give him full information of the state of your command, and specially in regard to all matters of administration, for supplies and the like, which have engaged your attention.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

RICHMOND, April 27, 1863.

Major-General MAURY, Knoxville, Tenn.:

Remain in command of your department until arrival of General Buckner. You will then proceed to Mobile and take command of that department.

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

MONROE, LA., April 27, 1863.

Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS, Chief of Staff:

MY DEAR GENERAL: General McCulloch arrived here yesterday, but left again this morning for Camden. He thinks the advance of General Walker's division will reach Camden to-morrow and will push rapidly on to Shreveport. He also requested me to remain for a day or so in order that he might communicate through me with you. He is in spirits, and reports his command down with same disease, all eager and anxious to join General Kirby for a fight. Major Rhett "informs me of your dispatch (which was shown me by General Hebert), ordering all ordnance and ammunition directly to Shreveport." General Hebert is now loading two steamers with stores to go up the river. Everything will be saved in case of evacuation. He thinks the general should send him positive and explicit orders.

This delectable portion of the world is full of rumors. One is that General Magruder has arrived in rear of Banks with 6,000 troops and causing the usual havoc; also that General Johnston has utterly annihilated Rosecrans and is having things his own way, &c. We have nothing from the interior. I presume there was great distress when you all left Alexandria. I sent you on Sunday several dispatches relative to the movements of troops. General W. thought he could make Monroe sooner that Camden, and General Holmes granted him permission so to do. I sent a dispatch to Little Rock and one to Pine Bluff, directing (also a courier to intercept him) him to proceed by your order to Camden, thence to Shreveport.

Trusting, amid the conflict of orders, no extraordinary delay may occur, I am, general, very truly, &c.,

CHAS. V. COSBY.

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN SUB-DISTRICT OF TEXAS,
Fort Brown, April 27, 1863.

Captain EDMUND P. TURNER,

Asst. Adjt. General, Dist. of Tex., N. Tex., and Ariz.:

SIR: The enforcement of the conscript law on this frontier would have had but the effect of driving the Mexicans across the Rio Grande